Mayoral candidate and venture capitalist Joanna Rees wants a look at The City’s complex departmental budget makeup, but hasn’t had any luck yet.

In an editorial board interview with The Examiner on Thursday, Rees said she first requested the budgets from departments verbally, then with letters, and now she has filed Sunshine Act requests to compel The City to release the information.

“We have not received any,” Rees said.

As part of her campaign platform, Rees wants city departments to “start from zero,” basically resubmit their budget priorities and justify expenditures. This type of zero-based budgeting is used by startup companies looking to grow with limited resources, she said.

She also wants to create incentives in departments so they can be “rewarded for improving services to the community by spending less.”

“That will make sure we can get all the right people in the right positions,” Rees said.

dschreiber@sfexaminer.com