Grand jury urges clearer budget oversight and city governance; officials point to charter reform process

The Government Audit and Oversight Committee reviewed the civil grand jury’s "Lifting the Fog" report, which calls for improved budget oversight, clearer definition of the city administrator’s duties and steps to reduce siloed departmental operations.

Paul Drevis, presenting the jury’s findings, summarized interviews with more than 50 current and former city employees and said the jury repeatedly found that the city's budget oversight responsibilities are fragmented and the city administrator’s role is ambiguously defined. "City's budget oversight responsibilities need to be improved and have to be more effective," he said.

City officials agreed on the broad diagnosis but emphasized the complexity of implementation. Sophia Kittler and other mayoral staff said the issues are best addressed comprehensively through an upcoming charter reform process rather than through standalone ordinances. The mayor’s office said it is assessing whether structural tools such as deputy mayors are appropriate, but noted Proposition H (1991) restrictions and salary caps that historically shaped the city administrator's authority.

Supervisors discussed specific recommended steps, including better fiscal benefit analysis for legislation, clearer role definitions, and exploration of shared services and cost allocation. The committee directed the clerk to prepare the Board's response and forwarded relevant items to the full Board, while noting that some recommendations require charter changes and therefore cannot be implemented by ordinance alone.

What happens next: The clerk will draft the Board response consistent with the committee's direction; city and Board staff said they will pursue many reforms via the charter reform process and continued work between the mayor's office, controller and city administrator.