Governance
We believe: The public sector can and should serve the collective good.
• Improve government’s capacity to provide services and address challenges effectively.
• Support voter engagement.
Our Goals
SPUR Report
Designed to Serve
San Francisco’s governance structure has evolved to distribute authority and maximize oversight. As a result, policies don’t always meet the needs of the people they intend to serve. SPUR outlines how San Francisco can choose to design a better system.
SPUR Voter Guide
The SPUR Voter Guide
The SPUR Voter Guide helps voters understand the issues they will face in the voting booth. We focus on outcomes, not ideology, providing objective analysis on which measures will deliver real solutions.
SPUR Report
Making Government Work
Many of the challenges Oakland faces are worsened by its unusual government structure, which makes it harder for the mayor and other officials to do their jobs well. SPUR explores how the city can adapt its governance structure to better serve Oaklanders.
Updates and Events
2016 Good Government Awards: How Robert Smuts Transformed SF's Emergency Communications
News /
The 2016 Good Government Awards, held on March 21, recognized outstanding performances by managers working for the City and County of San Francisco. The ceremony honored Roberts Smuts for turning around the Department of Emergency Management and dramatically increasing the chances that a 9-1-1 call will be answered within 10 seconds or less.
2016 Good Government Awards: How Greg Kato Raised $500 Million in Business Tax Revenues
News /
The 2016 Good Government Awards, held on March 21, recognized outstanding performances by managers working for the City and County of San Francisco. The ceremony honored Greg Kato for rolling out the gross receipts tax, a restructuring of the business tax that increased the number of taxpayers from 7,000 to over 15,000 and raised revenues to $500 million per year.
2016 Good Government Awards: How Diana Hammons Made Muni Free for Youth and Seniors
News /
The 2016 Good Government Awards, held on March 21, recognized outstanding performances by managers working for the City and County of San Francisco. The ceremony honored Diana Hammons f o r implementing the Free Muni for Youth program, which later expanded to include seniors and people with disabilities and now serves approximately 100,000 low-income San Francisco residents.
2016 Good Government Awards: How Jane Gong Helps Small Businesses Succeed
News /
The 2016 Good Government Awards, held on March 21, recognized outstanding performances by managers working for the City and County of San Francisco. The ceremony honored Jane Gong for launching the San Francisco Business Portal, an online tool that streamlines the permitting process to open and grow a business in San Francisco.
Are We Headed for an Economic Correction? Bay Area Experts Weigh In
News /
What will happen with the economy in the year ahead? Are we in for a correction or recession? Every year, SPUR’s Municipal Fiscal Advisory Committee gathers expert economists to try to answer these kinds of questions. The expertise of independent economists and experts from key sectors — including real estate, hospitality and retail — helps the city staff develop revenue projections for San Francisco’s budget.
SPUR Supports Creation of Department of Transportation and Infrastructure in Oakland
Advocacy Letter
SPUR supports staff's proposal to create a Department of Transportation and Infrastructure in the City of Oakland. We think a well-run Department of Transportation is essential to the success of a 21st century Oakland.