Blue city mayor embraces government efficiency in new memo to city employees

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San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie directed city employees to return to the office at least four days a week, as laid out in a memo on Tuesday. The liberal city joins local leaders across the country who have asked their employees to retire hybrid schedules since President Donald Trump took office. 

Lurie, the new mayor committed to shaking up San Francisco, said working in-person "provides critical operational benefits to the City" that will improve government efficiency. 

"Bringing our workers back to the office will make our services more effective and responsive to our residents. That is what San Franciscans expect and what Mayor Lurie will deliver. We look forward to working with our partners across the departments and in labor over the coming weeks to implement the mayor’s plan," Charles Lutvak, spokesperson for Lurie, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. 

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In the memo to department heads, Lurie said 70% of San Francisco employees currently work in-person five or more days a week with the remaining 30% working in-office three days a week. Lurie directed employees to return to the office at least four days a week as soon as possible with a "target date of April 28th for full implementation."

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Mayor Lurie speaks

Mayor Daniel Lurie speaks on the steps of City Hall in San Francisco on Jan. 28, 2025. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

The memo outlines how working in-office benefits performance, communication and collaboration, while making more employees available to deliver for San Franciscans.

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Trump signed an executive order on his first day back in office terminating all remote work in the federal government as part of the Department of Government Efficiency's efforts to improve productivity. Governors and mayors across the country have followed suit by directing their employees to return to the office. 

While San Francisco employees are now expected to return to the office, California state employees can still follow a hybrid schedule. Last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration ordered state employees to return to the office at least two days a week. The governor's office did not provide comment on Lurie's memo by the deadline for this article. 

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom campaigns for President Joe Biden on July 4, 2024, in South Haven, Michigan. (Chris duMond/Shutterstock)

Lurie’s return-to-work order coincides with his plans to revitalize San Francisco. He campaigned on cleaning up San Francisco’s streets, enhancing public safety, tackling the city’s drug crisis, creating housing, cutting through corrupt bureaucracy and "breathing life back into our downtown." 

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Lurie announced on Tuesday an agreement with the Board of Supervisors on legislation to convert empty offices in downtown San Francisco into new housing. The legislation will allow the city to cut through red-tape regulations that make it difficult to launch "office-to-housing conversion projects."

"Transforming vacant offices into housing will help drive our recovery downtown while creating new homes for San Franciscans," Lurie said. "This is a win-win for our city thanks to the new era of collaboration at City Hall, so we can create a thriving, 24/7 downtown that benefits both residents and business."

The mayor’s office said the new legislation will reduce developmental costs of converting office spaces and extend application deadlines for a program that would make it easier to get zoning and building permits. 

San Francisco Mayor David Lurie launched the SFPD Hospitality Task Force this week.

San Francisco Mayor David Lurie worked to pass the Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance this month "to get drugs off the street and keep San Franciscans safe." (Getty Images)

Earlier this month, Lurie launched the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) Hospitality Task Force to increase the police presence in San Francisco’s business and tourist districts and dedicate more resources to high-traffic areas. 

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San Francisco also passed the Fentanyl State of Emergency Ordinance this month, which will provide resources "to get drugs off the street and keep San Franciscans safe" by increasing shelter capacities, expanding health initiatives and unlocking funding for expanded treatment options. 

Deirdre Heavey is a politics writer for Fox News Digital.