Greg Wagner is poised to be the next San Francisco controller.
Wagner’s appointment — which was announced by Mayor London Breed on Wednesday and still requires approval by the Board of Supervisors — will fill the vacancy left by outgoing Controller Ben Rosenfield.
The controller, who serves as The City’s chief financial officer and auditor, will be key to The City’s navigation of a daunting array of financial challenges in the coming years. Though the job typically has a low public profile, its occupant is often thought of as an unsung hero to those within city government.
Wagner’s experience as chief operating officer at the Department of Public Health, which has an approximately $3 billion budget, made him the perfect choice for the job in Breed’s eyes, she said.
“Getting the politics out of all of the decisions that need to be made to deliver for the people of San Francisco is not an easy thing to do,” Breed said. “And Greg Wagner has done it.”
San Francisco’s budget deficit is expected to exceed $800 million over the next two years and is only projected to grow in the years thereafter.
Wagner, who has more than 16 years of experience in city government, managed the Department of Public Health’s finances through the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s the largest department in The City, encompassing Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Laguna Honda Hospital.
“There was a lot of money and a lot of resources and change going out the door, and Greg was at the center of so much of that work,” Breed said.
Despite its well-documented struggles emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic, Wagner expressed confidence in The City’s future. He pointed to The City’s recovery from the Great Recession and attempts to defund its social programs during the Trump administration as evidence of its resilience.
“I really do believe in San Francisco,” Wagner said. “I believe in the future of this city, and I believe in our ability to tackle these financial challenges.” The role of the controller, he said, is about promoting “accountability in The City and making sure that The City makes decisions based on data and follows through and measures its results.”
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Prior to his work for the Department of Public Health, Wagner served as budget director for former mayors Gavin Newsom and Ed Lee from 2006 to 2011.
Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin signaled his early support for Wagner on Wednesday and said he has “every confidence” the board will confirm him. The Department of Public Health’s loss of Wagner, he said, “is the rest of The City’s gain.”
Rosenfield, appointed in 2008, garnered respect from across San Francisco’s ideological spectrum for offering unvarnished and straightforward analyses of The City’s financial position.
He announced last November that he would depart in February of 2024. He did not specify a reason but told The San Francisco Standard it was a “personal choice” and noted that he has worked for The City for more than two decades.
Rosenfield received a standing ovation from city employees gathered outside Breed’s office for the announcement and was visibly discomfited by the praise. He dedicated much of his brief remarks to expressing confidence in Wagner, with whom he’s worked in various city roles.
“I know he has the experience and a record of accomplishment in those roles that tells me he will be a fantastic controller for the City and County of San Francisco,” Rosenfield said.
The rhetoric of the outgoing and incoming controllers was so dry even Breed commented on it.
“He even sounds like a controller,” Breed said.
Rosenfield was first appointed as controller in 2008, then reappointed to a second term in 2018. If confirmed, Wagner will begin a full 10-year term.
The city controller can only be fired by the mayor for cause, a move the Board of Supervisors would need to approve with a two-thirds vote.
