SF supervisors to hold emergency hearing on mayor's resignation letter 'scandal'
San Francisco Mayor London Breed at City Hall. February 16, 2022.
SAN FRANCISCO - The Government Audit and Oversight Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is holding an emergency hearing on Tuesday to discuss what Supervisor Dean Preston has dubbed Mayor London Breed's "Resignation Letter Scandal," Preston's office announced on Monday.
Preston alleges that Mayor Breed requires "many" of SF's "most powerful" commissioners to provide signed, undated resignation letters prior to their appointments. Preston said that Police Commissioner Max Carter-Oberstone was made to sign an undated resignation letter as a condition of his re-appointment this spring, for example. Carter-Oberstone will be at the emergency hearing on Tuesday.
Supervisor Preston, who is chair of the Government Audit and Oversight Committee (GAO), said his office has sent formal letters of inquiry to the mayor's office and appointed commissioners and has received responses. Tuesday's hearing will discuss the subject and the public is invited to "weigh in," he said.
On Sept. 27, Preston referred to the mayor's practice of using undated resignation letters as "coercive" and said he had directed the City Attorney's Office to draft an ordinance prohibiting their use.
"This resignation letter scandal is deeply concerning," said Preston's office in September. "Requiring undated resignation letters from nominees for Commissions is completely out of line and inconsistent with our City's Charter. As Chair of GAO, I am committed to uncovering all of the facts here and making sure this never happens again."
Preston asserts that "dozens" of sitting commissioners have signed undated resignation letters.
The Mayor's Press Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The emergency hearing will take place at 10 a.m. at SF City Hall in the Legislative Chamber, Room 250 and will be broadcast live at sfgovtv.org.