The San Francisco County Rules Committee voted to forward Mayor’s renomination of Mike Chen to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors for a four-year term, citing the need for experienced board members as the agency addresses a large budget shortfall.

Mike Chen told the committee he has served on the SFMTA Citizen Advisory Council since 2020, including two years as chair, and summarized board priorities during his six months on the board. He said the agency is facing a budget shortfall he described as “about 20% of the current operating budget” and said the board is “laser focused on trying to make sure that we solve that and preserving service.”

Public comment included several supporters and at least one speaker who urged the committee to prioritize financial expertise. Griffin Lee, speaking for D2 Unite, said Chen “has the right intention” but argued that as the agency approaches what Lee described as “a fiscal cliff” — which Lee quantified as about $320,000,000 next year — the board needs members with stronger financial backgrounds. Other speakers in support included representatives of the San Francisco Democratic organization (Bob Akas Vandiari), Mission Housing Development Corporation (Sam Moss), Janet Tarlov (chair of the SFMTA board of directors), and neighborhood and community advocates who praised Chen’s outreach, attention to pedestrian safety and transit-first priorities.

Janet Tarlov, chair of the SFMTA board, told the committee she appeared to emphasize the importance of avoiding a vacancy on the board while staff and directors work on the agency’s budget plan. Tarlov said staff have spent months preparing the board to address the “very significant” budget challenge and expressed concern about bringing a new director up to speed during a critical period.

President Mandelmann moved to strike the resolution’s rejecting language and forward Chen’s approval to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation. The motion passed without objection. The recommendation will go to the Board for final confirmation as noted by the clerk.