San Francisco Sun

San Francisco, CA – Mayor London N. Breed and City Attorney David Chiu announced new Good Government Reforms targeting the city’s contracting process and partners. These reforms include new Contract Reform legislation and an Executive Directive to city departments to strengthen internal contracting processes. The legislation is co-sponsored by Supervisor Catherine Stefani.

The Comprehensive Contract Reform legislation aims to provide additional oversight, accountability, transparency, and controls on city contractors and grantees. It ensures that public funds are awarded fairly and managed effectively while protecting them from being misused for improper purposes such as political activity or lobbying city officials.

Executive Directive 24-04 will direct departments and staff on implementing new laws and strengthening oversight under existing laws. It standardizes practices across departments, provides fair processes for selecting grantees, guides departments in monitoring grantee performance, and retains records for effective audits and investigations.

“Misconduct from those that would wrongfully take advantage of City resources has not been tolerated during my administration, and these new efforts expand on this commitment,” said Mayor London Breed. “With the City Attorney’s Office and the Controller’s Office we have investigated such activity and have acted swiftly and decisively to bring to account bad actors through enforcing existing laws and regulations and creating new and stricter rules to prevent such abuses. Now, we are putting stronger protections in place and expanding the guidance of our Departments to strengthen the public trust and improve accountability in how our government operates.”

“Those who undermine our contracting processes and exploit public resources are not welcome to do business with our City and will be held accountable,” said City Attorney David Chiu. “I am proud of our attorneys and investigators who have worked diligently to root out corruption and maintain the integrity of City government. We appreciate the collaboration with the Mayor’s Office and Controller’s Office on continuing reforms to prevent fraud and the abuse of City resources.”

“San Franciscans deserve a city government that responsibly manages their tax dollars and ensures that city services are delivered effectively and reliably,” said Supervisor Catherine Stefani. “I'm proud to have authored key reforms to our nonprofit contracting system, codified fair and transparent grant processes, and to now stand with Mayor Breed in advancing these additional good governance policies. This Executive Directive is a crucial step toward restoring and strengthening the public’s trust in our city government.”

The Good Government Contracting Reform legislation will be introduced at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday September 10. The legislation sets out requirements including:

- Preventing city contractors from using city funds for political activities by requiring them to keep separate accounts for such activities.

- Barring businesses from receiving contracts if they go outside of strict competitive solicitation processes.

- Prohibiting contractors from using funds for lobbying or influencing officials.

- Prohibiting contractors from litigating against the city with its own funds.

The Mayor’s Executive Directive is effective Tuesday September 3rd. It ensures compliance with updated standards, documentation procedures, adherence to payment policies, enhanced screening for conflicts of interest, strengthened sole source contracting procedures, improved record-keeping policies, guidance on fiscal sponsorships.

These efforts build on work Mayor Breed has done since taking office to reform ethics abuses ensuring transparency, oversight, accountability in city government institutions.