A moderate took control over San Francisco’s most influential legislative committee Tuesday, the latest development in the political sea change at City Hall.
Board of Supervisors President David Chiu, re-elected to his post Saturday with the support of the board’s more conservative members, has appointed moderate Supervisor Carmen Chu as chair of the board’s influential Budget and Finance Committee.
Chiu unveiled his committee assignments Tuesday. As board president, he appoints supervisors to serve on the board’s seven committees.
The appointment of Chu as chair of the budget committee was Chiu’s most significant choice. During the past decade, the committee post has been dominated by progressives such as former supervisors Chris Daly, Jake McGoldrick, Aaron Peskin and current Supervisor John Avalos.
The budget chair boasts significant power and has a large say over what changes are made to the mayor’s budget submission. Chu had worked in former Mayor Gavin Newsom’s Budget Office and has served as a member of the budget committee in the past.
The committee assignments brought criticism from Supervisor David Campos, a progressive torchbearer.
“Progressives no longer control this Board of Supervisors. …. The loss of that control happened not at the ballot box, but it happened here in City Hall,” Campos said.
In response, Chiu said, “I do believe that a majority of this board share the same progressive values and I think there is a danger in an overly narrow definition of what is progressive.”
As for the committee makeup, Chiu said, the assignments “reflect the need that we have for this time for unprecedented collaboration during a time of transition with our new interim Mayor Ed Lee, with the many challenges that we are facing regarding the budget deficit, the local economy [and] pension costs.”
Committee rosters
Budget and Finance
Carmen Chu, chair
Ross Mirkarimi, vice chair
Jane Kim
Scott Wiener
David Chiu
City Operations and Neighborhood Services
John Avalos, chair
Eric Mar, vice chair
Sean Elsbernd
City and School District
Malia Cohen, chair
John Avalos, vice chair
Carmen Chu
Government Auditand Oversight
David Campos, chair
Mark Farrell, vice chair
David Chiu
Land Use andEconomic Development
Eric Mar, chair
Malia Cohen, vice chair
Scott Wiener
Public Safety
Ross Mirkarimi, chair
Malia Cohen, vice chair
David Campos
Rules
Jane Kim, chair
Sean Elsbernd, vice chair
Mark Farrell
