Rules Committee hears initiative to let appointed former mayor take city job within a year of leaving office

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee on Monday heard a proposed initiative that would permit an appointed former mayor to obtain full‑time city employment within one year after leaving office.

President Hsu presented the measure as a limited change to the campaign and governmental conduct code, saying it would ‘‘allow an appointed former Mayor to obtain full time city employment within 1 year after leaving office’’ and noting the proposal is proceeding in parallel through the Ethics Commission. Hsu referenced interim Mayor Edwin Lee’s prior role as city administrator and indicated the measure could appear on the June ballot.

Public commenters opposed the change. Thomas Cicurello said he was speaking in opposition and warned the ordinance could be ‘‘a bad precedent’’ and raised concerns about identity‑politics implications given changes in the Board’s composition. The transcript shows Cicurello said the measure ‘‘is a bad precedent’’ and that the committee and full board should be sensitive to identity politics.

Committee members did not vote on a final ordinance; the chair moved that the hearing be held and filed and the item was forwarded to the full Board as a committee report for the Board’s hearing on February 15. According to the clerk’s statement at the meeting, committee reports are intended to be sent to the full Board on February 15 unless otherwise indicated.

The measure will also be considered separately by the Ethics Commission before returning to the Board of Supervisors. The committee did not take a final policy vote during the Rules Committee meeting.