Finance Committee continues Auto Return towing contract for two weeks

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Budget & Finance Committee on March 17 voted to continue action on a proposed third amendment to the city’s towing contract with San Francisco Auto Return for two weeks. Vice Chair Asha Safaii moved the continuance “so we can work with the SFMTA to dive deeper into these questions,” and Chair Matt Haney seconded; the motion carried.

The resolution before the committee would have increased the contract by $23,200,000 for a two-year portion of a five‑year extension, for a not-to-exceed total of $88,600,000 beginning April 1, 2021. Committee members and staff said the request for a short continuance was driven not by performance complaints against Auto Return but by outstanding questions about the contract’s history and the broader way towing policy is implemented in the city.

Tom McGuire of the Municipal Transportation Agency told the committee the city would not lose continuity of tow services if the item were continued and called the pending renewal a stopgap that would maintain operations while the city works on broader policy questions such as who is towed and how costs are set. Stephen Lee, appearing for the Budget and Legislative Analyst/SFMTA briefing, said staff could answer questions but supported additional time to provide a more comprehensive report.

The committee recorded a roll call and the continuance was entered for the April 7 meeting. The continuance means the committee will revisit the proposed amendment after further review by the BLA and SFMTA.