Supervisors approve ordinance granting mayor expedited contracting powers to address fentanyl, homelessness; 10-1

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Jan. 28 approved an amended ordinance that temporarily expands the mayor’s authority to speed contracting and waive certain administrative requirements to address fentanyl overdoses, homelessness and related behavioral-health crises. The measure passed as amended by a 10–1 vote, with Supervisor Shimon Walton casting the lone no vote.

The ordinance, described by supporters as a tool to cut red tape for shelter, treatment and outreach, reauthorizes expedited hiring and allows limited waivers of procurement and “behest of payment” approval processes for a time-limited period. Supporters said the changes are meant to let the city scale up services faster; opponents said the board was approving broad powers without a concrete plan or cost estimate.

Supervisor Chan, who led the budget committee’s work on the item, said the legislation includes amendments to narrow its scope and added guardrails. Chan said the long title and text were edited to limit acceptance and expansion of nongovernmental donations tied to the core initiatives to $10,000,000 and to clarify publication and timing requirements for the ordinance. Chan added that the ordinance will return to the board for oversight and additional review.

“...we are limiting at $10,000,000,” Supervisor Chan said while describing technical edits circulated to colleagues before the vote.

Supervisor Jackie Fielder, an early co-sponsor, said she supported the measure while stressing it was an unusual transfer of authority. “This ordinance is an unprecedented transfer of power and a significant transfer of responsibility to Mayor Lurie to transform street conditions over the next year,” Fielder said, adding that she expects the administration to staff hundreds of treatment beds and that the board would retain oversight as the plan is implemented.

Fielder urged a comprehensive approach combining enforcement, treatment and outreach and cited examples from other countries as models for combining services with public-health interventions.

Opposing the measure, District 10 Supervisor Shimon Walton said the board was being asked to grant broad authorities before seeing a detailed operational plan. Walton called the vote “putting the cart before the horse” and said he had not seen specifics on where or how the hundreds or thousands of beds—figures mentioned in public discussion—would be created, staffed or funded.

“This is probably the most vivid example of putting the cart before the horse I have seen in my entire 6 plus years in office,” Walton said, arguing that the fiscal impact was unclear and fundraising assumptions were speculative.

Supervisor Mahmood (Mahmoud) said the ordinance would help cut red tape and called it a necessary step to get life-saving resources out faster to neighborhoods most affected by overdoses and street conditions. “It will streamline the city's ability to quickly address homelessness, addiction, mental health, and public safety,” Mahmood said, and announced his vote in favor.

The ordinance includes: a time-limited deadline for the special authorities included in the measure (as amended the deadline was clarified in committee text to be Jan. 8, 2026), a cap on certain nongovernmental donations tied to the initiative ($10,000,000), and provisions intended to expedite hiring of behavioral-health professionals. The board adopted a package of amendments before calling the roll; the ordinance passed as amended 10–1.

What happens next: the mayor’s office is expected to outline specific contracting decisions, bed and shelter siting, and fundraising plans as the administration implements the ordinance. The board’s amendments require ongoing reporting and leave the legislation subject to future oversight and potential modification by supervisors.

Votes at the meeting: the ordinance was recorded as item 13 on the agenda. The clerk recorded the vote as 10 ayes and 1 no (Walton).

Why this matters: Supervisors and the mayor have appeared to be moving to accelerate city responses to a lethal fentanyl and overdose crisis and longstanding homelessness challenges. Supporters say temporary administrative flexibility is needed to stand up services quickly; opponents warn that broad delegations of authority without clear, published plans risk costly contracts and reduced legislative oversight.

Provenance: Discussion of item 13 appears in the meeting transcript beginning with the introduction of item 13 and the budget committee remarks (transcript segment starting at the board’s readout of item 13) and concludes with the roll call on the amended ordinance.

Speakers quoted and referenced in this article are identified in the meeting record.