San Francisco Politics and Urbanism Daily
San Francisco’s Reform Math: Budgets, Police Waits, Permits
Thursday, June 18, 2026 · 8 min
San Francisco budget fights are colliding with police response metrics and small-business permitting: the reform question is how much City Hall can actually change when staffing costs, locked-in spending, and review steps constrain the levers.
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Show notes
San Francisco budget fights are colliding with police response metrics and small-business permitting: the reform question is how much City Hall can actually change when staffing costs, locked-in spending, and review steps constrain the levers.
In this episode
- [PDF] Police Response - Controller's Office | SF.gov — San Francisco Controller's Office
76.2 20.7 7.5 0 50 100 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 What is in a “response time”? The Department of Emergency Management (DEM) runs the 9-1-1 dispatch center, where a call taker receives each call and sends it to a dispatcher. If the call requires a police response, the dispatcher assigns an available unit to respond. If there are no units available,…
- Step Back — When Mayor Lurie says he’s presenting a balanced budget to drive San Francisco’s recovery, how much of the city budget is actually flexible enough to change outcomes on housing, public safety, and street-level business — and how much is basically locked in before the debate even starts?
Background sources
- Mayor Lurie presents draft budget to Board of Supervisors | KALW — KALW
- Lurie offers tough medicine for massive SF deficit ills | Politics | sfexaminer.com — Patrick Hoge | Examiner staff writer
- S.F. mayor didn’t get all he wanted in his budget, nor did his critics — J.D. Morris
- Mayor Lurie signs $15.9 billion budget. Here's where the money will go — Aldo Toledo
- SF city jobs are safe this year. Next year is another story — Sfstandard
- SF Supervisors Preserve Millions for Homeless Prevention, Housing in Budget | KQED — KQED
- SF Supervisors Preserve Millions for Homeless Prevention, Housing in Budget | KQED — KQED
- Small Businesses | SF Planning — San Francisco Planning Department
## Utility Navigation  ## Main navigation # Small Businesses Where do I start? **If you are planning to start, renovate, expand a small business, or change the type of business operating at an existing business location, you may need a permit.** Depending on the business type and zoning district of the property, your project may be approved…