Sworn-in Daniel Lurie says ‘hope alive’ in SF

His day was a reflection of where he’ll spend much of his attention over the next four years — both inside and outside of City Hall — as he looks to repair The City’s tarnished reputation, restore its tourism industry and reinvigorate its downtown.

“Hope is alive and well in San Francisco,” Lurie declared Wednesday.

Lurie’s day was so chock-full of events, one could almost overlook his actual inauguration, which drew throngs of onlookers to Civic Center Plaza on Wednesday to revel in the arrival of The City’s new mayor.

The event drew a list of dignitaries that included former mayors Willie Brown, Frank Jordan and Art Agnos. Outgoing Mayor London Breed also attended the ceremony, and Lurie said he had spoken to her about an hour before taking the stage and paused to credit her service to The City. Gov. Gavin Newsom, tending to wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area, did not attend, but first partner Jennifer SiebelNewsom was present.

But in addition to high-profile elected officials, the event also drew curious, everyday San Franciscans, whom Lurie and his supporters are counting on to actively participate in turning The City around.

“Just like the Warriors, we have to bring our individual talents to the table with the idea of making the whole better,” said Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr during a brief address during the inauguration ceremony. “Indeed, there is strength in numbers.”

The inauguration took place at Civic Center Plaza, which sits adjacent to City Hall, instead of on its steps or within the building as previous mayors have elected. Much of Wednesday’s proceedings was a bit atypical for an incoming mayor — which is befitting of Lurie, who was an atypical candidate.

Lurie, an heir to the Levi Strauss fortune who almost entirely self-financed his campaign, is the first person elected to lead San Francisco in more than a century who did not have previous experience in elected office.

Lurie turned inexperience into an asset, promising to bring a new perspective and new ideas to San Francisco.

“You voted for accountability and change, a clear mandate that my administration will work to fulfill every single day,” Lurie said.

Lurie has already fleshed out his administration with a mix of people touting experience inside and outside of government.

He tapped Kunal Modi, a partner at powerful consulting firm McKinsey, to lead his administration’s efforts to combat homelessness. He lured Alicia John-Baptiste, the CEO of influential think tank SPUR, to oversee public infrastructure and transportation.

But he’s also tapped leaders with experience inside city government, including Paul Yep, a former San Francisco police captain, who will coordinate The City’s public safety agencies.

Although he filled the roster of his core team before taking office, much remains to be seen about how City Hall will take shape under Lurie’s watch.

He is scheduled to meet with department heads at a 9 a.m. meeting Thursday. Speaking to reporters aboard a cable car Wednesday morning, Lurie wouldn’t hint at what the message would be or who might be staying on under his administration.

Despite the uncertainty, police Chief Scott joined Lurie on his tour through the Tenderloin, and the inauguration ceremony was a who’s who of City Hall officials.

Whether related to public safety or otherwise, Lurie has a slew of promises to live up to.

Lurie has tasked himself with massively expanding shelter for the homeless, something he plans to accomplish with help from legislation he announced Wednesday. He pledged to declare a state of emergency to address the fentanyl epidemic, and on Wednesday he said he would introduce a package of emergency ordinances to reduce bureaucratic hurdles to doing so.

He’ll have to do all of this as The City faces a massive budget deficit that adds up to nearly $1 billion combined over the next two years.

But hope in San Francisco has plenty of justifications. The week she left office, Breed’s administration announced that crime had reached 20-year lows. The City is the hub of a rapidly growing artificial-intelligence industry that could serve as a boon to its economy. Public-transit ridership is up; fentanyl overdoses are down.

Still, those in City Hall were imbued with a sense of optimism, including members of the Board of Supervisors, with which Lurie will have to work closely in order to fulfill his goals. That the balance of power has shifted in a more centrist direction might prove to be to Lurie’s benefit.

Supervisor Joel Engardio, who represents a district that includes the Sunset, said he shares many priorities with the incoming mayor, including improving public safety. He said he’s already met with Lurie on several occasions and credited the new mayor with spending significant time in the district.

“This is a good moment for San Francisco,” Engardio said. “We need to chart a better future for our city. Daniel Lurie embodies that.”

Lurie quickly signaled after taking office, in remarks made directly to the Board of Supervisors, that he hopes for a productive relationship between the legislative and executive branches of government.

“We are going to have honest, open, transparent conversations at all times, I promise you that,” Lurie said

“Even if we don’t agree on everything, it’s OK,” he said.

Inauguration Day demonstrated Lurie’s capacity to handle a variety of environments. There were unplanned interactions with people at St. Anthony’s who were curious to see his plans for the homeless. There was a family visiting San Francisco from Texas who, quite unexpectedly, found themselves riding a cable car with the soon-to-be mayor, his staff and a horde of journalists. There was the spotlight — or, in this case, sunlight — of a major speech.

And on Wednesday night, Lurie was expected to be the star of a Chinatown night market that would double as a celebration of his ascension to power. He booked Grammy-nominated electronic-dance-music artist Zhu, a San Francisco native, to headline the night market.

Apart from the ceremony and festivity, Lurie’s confidants maintained a sense of purpose.

For Becca Prowda, the director of protocol for Newsom and Lurie’s wife, “service” was the word of the day.

“Daniel and I both believe it’s not enough to just live in a place,” Prowda said. “You have to take action to make that place better. For us, San Francisco is that place.”

Lurie and his team took pains throughout the weekend — which saw him lead a litany of neighborhood cleanups — and Wednesday to demonstrate that he is very willing to take action.

“I’m asking you to join me in reclaiming our place as the greatest city in the world — with a new era of accountability, service, and change,” Lurie said. “It’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work, San Francisco.”