San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed issued the following statement following the Board of Supervisors’ 6-4 vote against the appointment of Jane Natoli to the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) Board of Directors.

“The Board of Supervisors’ decision to reject the nomination of Jane Natoli for the SFMTA Board is a deeply cynical move that represents what is wrong with San Francisco politics. And let’s be clear, this is simply about politics.

The Board made her wait for over 100 days just to have a hearing. During this time, the SFMTA Board could barely make a quorum while the SFMTA is having to make countless difficult decisions as a result of COVID-19. When Jane finally received a hearing, the Board did not question her qualifications, in fact she received a unanimously positive recommendation in her committee hearing. Jane is a transit rider, a bicycle rider, and a transportation advocate who is well-respected for her advocacy. She would have been the first trans Director in the history of the SFMTA Board, bringing a unique perspective that the SFMTA Board has never had before. But the Supervisors decided that their political differences with her are more important than having qualified Directors on the SFMTA Board.

We should be thankful that people are willing to provide their expertise and serve our City. The message that the Board of Supervisors continues to send is that it does not matter if you are qualified, in order to serve San Francisco you must be aligned with them politically.”

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