San Francisco Mayor Seeks Allies On Pension Reform
SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS) - San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee met behind closed doors with the Board of Supervisors Tuesday to discuss pension reform, an unusual visit one supervisor said carries lots of positive symbolism.
"I can't remember a time a city mayor has ever come into a closed session before," said Supervisor Sean Elsbernd.
Lee promised to forge a broad consensus for the pension reform measure he hopes to put on the November ballot.
"It was a general discussion at this point because it's the first. But it won't be the last, for sure," Lee said afterwards, promising another such meeting in two weeks.
KCBS' Barbara Taylor Reports:
Lee said the supervisors agreed with what he has already said publicly about the growing pension crisis the city will face.
What happens in talks like these could determine whether there's one measure or several competing ones. The meetings mark a decided change in the political tone at City Hall, Elsbernd said.
"What it really demonstrates to me is the mayor stamping his seal on this being his issue and wanting to make very clear to members of the board that he wants to work collaboratively on it," he said.
Shortly after the closed session on pension reform, the supervisors unanimously adopted rules for a new voter-approved question time that requires the mayor to appear at one public board meeting a month.
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