A coalition of 38 top executives assembled by Mayor Daniel Lurie went public today with a voter survey and a short list of projects it says could jump‑start San Francisco’s recovery. Branded as the Partnership for San Francisco, the group says it will zero in on transit funding, downtown revitalization and public safety while helping the mayor confront a looming budget gap.
What the poll found
The Partnership released results of a November EMC Research poll of 500 registered voters that showed broad support for its core priorities, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. In the survey, 90% said public transit was important, 87% said a positive business climate was essential, 82% said large employers matter, 79% had a favorable view of Muni and 76% had used transit recently.
The poll also found more than two‑thirds of respondents had a positive view of the city’s overall trajectory, even as they expressed strong concerns about housing affordability. As the Chronicle noted, the findings land while the city faces a projected two‑year budget shortfall of about $936 million, and Mayor Lurie has ordered departments to find $400 million in permanent savings.
Who’s on the council
The Partnership lists 38 founding members and is co‑chaired by Ruth Porat of Alphabet and philanthropist Laurene Powell Jobs, with Katherine August‑deWilde serving as president, according to Partnership for San Francisco. The roster includes executives from OpenAI, Airbnb, Visa, DoorDash, Levi’s, Gap, PG&E, UCSF Health, Williams‑Sonoma and Y Combinator, a lineup that underscores the private‑sector muscle behind the project.
On its website, the Partnership casts the council as an advisory body meant to mobilize private resources and provide perspective and expertise to speed up solutions for city problems.
Police staffing and Rebuilding the Ranks
Public safety surfaced as an early priority in the Partnership’s talks with City Hall, and the mayor’s office responded by moving to accelerate police hiring this year. The San Francisco Police Department says that push helped produce multiple full academy classes and a net positive increase in officers on the street by October, the first net gain since 2020, according to a department news release.
The SFPD credited streamlined hiring steps and expanded outreach tied to the mayor’s “Rebuilding the Ranks” plan for the uptick in applicants and lateral transfers.
Ballot politics and downtown plans
Political strategists say the poll could help shape messaging for measures expected in 2026, ranging from transit financing to business taxes. Mayor Lurie has already formed a committee to start fundraising for a potential transit funding measure, and planners are discussing possible business‑tax proposals.
The Frisc reported that the mayor’s early committee filing signals an intent to test voter appetite for a Muni parcel tax. How any eventual tax and transit proposals interact, and whether competing business and labor‑backed measures land on the same ballot, could shape the political route for downtown’s recovery.
Why it matters
For San Franciscans, the Partnership’s agenda matters because it translates elite business priorities into specific campaigns that could affect transit service, taxes and the fate of downtown. Expect the council’s polling numbers to be front and center in campaign messaging and lobbying as the city heads into a pivotal election cycle.
