News Releases

Mayor London N. Breed, Treasurer José Cisneros, and Supervisors Rafael Mandelman and Aaron Peskin introduced legislation that would eliminate annual license fees for small businesses, making it easier to operate, grow, and open a small business in San Francisco. The announcement builds on Mayor Breed’s continued effort to remove barriers and fees to support small businesses citywide.

an Francisco Treasurer José Cisneros today announced results from new research demonstrating the effectiveness of the Kindergarten to College (K2C) program, which provides every child entering kindergarten with a Children’s Savings Account (CSA) seeded with $50 toward their future education. Students with a K2C account are significantly more likely to enroll in college, with the greatest benefit for underrepresented students.

Treasurer José Cisneros announced today that his Office’s free, one-on-one financial counseling program has helped clients to eliminate four million dollars in debt, and is today relaunching as the San Francisco Financial Empowerment Center (FEC).

This month, San Francisco received $650,000 in critical funding from the State of California that ensures the continuation of the city’s Be The Jury program, which increases juror pay from $15 to $100 a day for low- to moderate-income jurors.

Mayor London N. Breed, Treasurer José Cisneros, and the San Francisco Human Services Agency together celebrate five years since the launch of San Francisco’s Museums for All program. Started in May 2019, the City’s Museums for All program began with the support of more than 15 museums and cultural institutions to provide free or significantly reduced admission to San Francisco residents who receive public benefits.

City leaders responded to the final business tax reform proposal issued by the Controller and the Treasurer, saying that the measure is the right proposal to support San Francisco’s long-term economic success in a post-COVID world.

Treasurer José Cisneros, Controller Ben Rosenfield, and the City’s Chief Economist Ted Egan have issued recommendations intended to frame the development of a measure for the consideration of the voters in November 2024. These recommendations build on a July 2023 analysis, completed at the request of Supervisor Mandelman, that identified key vulnerabilities of San Francisco’s business tax system in the context of the City’s post-pandemic recovery.

Mayor London N. Breed, Treasurer José Cisneros, and the San Francisco Human Services Agency (SFHSA) announced today that free assistance is available to help eligible San Franciscans with incomes of under $64,000 file their taxes and apply for the San Francisco Working Families Credit (WFC) and other tax credits that could help individuals receive up to several thousands of dollars in tax credits and refunds.

Co-sponsors of AB 881, Offices of the San Francisco Treasurer, District Attorney, Public Defender, and Bar Association issue a statement in response to Governor Newsom’s veto of the Be the Jury California bill.

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Over 1,000 San Franciscans have participated in the Be The Jury program, which pays low- to moderate-income jurors $100 per day. Assembly Bill 881 would expand the program to other California counties.

Bank of America betrayed customers by opening credit card accounts without consent, double-dipping on insufficient fund fees, and withholding credit card reward bonuses. The harm to individuals is significant, and these actions will continue to erode trust in our banking institutions. I’m grateful to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) for their actions and commitment to repair for those impacted by Bank of America.

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City business tax analysis released today highlights key areas of focus for 2024 tax reform as the City works to revitalize Downtown and address challenges brought by the persistence of remote work

“I am disappointed in today’s Supreme Court decision invalidating the Biden administration’s student loan forgiveness plan. We cannot accept a return to the failed status quo, where student loan debt accelerates the racial wealth gap and disrupts the financial success of low-income borrows throughout their life,” said Treasurer José Cisneros. “We must continue to work collectively to provide relief for struggling student loan borrowers and strive for a future where higher education is affordable for all.”

The Class of 2023 is also the first graduating class that is part of the Kindergarten to College (K2C), marking a new milestone in City history.

“We started K2C so that every student in our public schools would know that they have a future worth saving for,” said San Francisco Treasurer José Cisneros. “K2C is beginning to deliver on the promise that every child growing up in San Francisco has not only a dream for college, but a pathway.”

New report shows SF Museums for All Program was used over 130,000 times in 2022, providing 250,000 San Francisco residents from low-income backgrounds with free admission to museums and cultural institutions

The San Francisco Financial Justice Project, housed in the Office of the Treasurer & Tax Collector, today released a report, Preliminary Findings from the First Six Months of the Be The Jury Pilot Program, which shows success in increasing economic and racial diversity of jury pools in San Francisco.

The San Francisco Superior Court has eliminated $50 million in outstanding debt for people who owe “civil assessments,” $300 late fees charged by traffic court when people miss a deadline to pay or appear. This action eliminated approximately 180,000 $300 civil assessments that were charged prior to July 1, 2022. After July 1, civil assessments will be capped at $100.

Governor Gavin Newsom, California Treasurer Fiona Ma, Mayor London Breed and Treasurer José Cisneros joined a class of 1st graders from Bryant Elementary School as they deposited the $11 millionth dollar into Kindergarten to College savings accounts. San Francisco’s Kindergarten to College (K2C) Program is the first universal Child Savings Account program in the country and is celebrating its belated 10th anniversary this week with the release of a new video and report.

Last week, the City and County of San Francisco launched the “Be The Jury” Pilot Program in San Francisco Superior Court, which will compensate low-to moderate-income jurors in criminal trials $100 a day for their jury service. This pilot was created with the goal of establishing juries that are more reflective of San Francisco’s diverse communities and is a first-of-its-kind pilot program in San Francisco Superior Court. Today, to help build community awareness about the program, the Golden State Warriors have just released two social media PSAs that speak to the importance of jury service and jury diversity.

The San Francisco Guaranteed Income Advisory Group today released its final report, “From Pilots to Policy Change: Recommendations from San Francisco’s Guaranteed Income Advisory Group.” This report suggests steps the City and County can take to strengthen support for existing and future pilots, while also advocating strategies to move beyond pilots, developing and implementing guaranteed income policies that can transform how San Francisco pursues economic justice and wellbeing for its residents.

On Monday, March 7, 2022, the City and County of San Francisco will launch the “Be The Jury” pilot program in San Francisco Superior Court, which will compensate low-to-moderate-income jurors $100 a day for their jury service. The “Be The Jury” pilot program was created with the goal of establishing juries that are more reflective of San Francisco’s diverse communities and is a first-of-its-kind pilot program in San Francisco Superior Court.

Mayor London N. Breed, Treasurer José Cisneros, and Supervisor Hillary Ronen today announced the launch of First Year Free, an innovative new Citywide pilot program that waives first-year permit, initial license, and initial business registration fees for new small businesses.

To qualify for First Year Free, a business must open a new ground floor commercial location between November 1, 2021, and October 31, 2022. Only small businesses with less than $2 million in San Francisco gross receipts are eligible, and the program is not applicable to formula retail locations.

AB 1452 authorizes the “Be The Jury” pilot program to compensate low-income jurors $100 a day to remove barriers to serving and to increase economic and racial diversity of juries. The “Be The Jury” pilot program is the first of its kind in the country.

Beginning this month, people incarcerated in San Francisco County Jails who have little or no support from the outside will receive a $10 monthly allowance to purchase essential hygiene items and food from the jail store, or commissary. The Commissary Allowance Pilot Program helps ensure incarcerated people maintain their dignity and ability to purchase essential items, like shampoo, deodorant, and snacks.

Today Governor Newsom proposed an investment of more than $2 billion in a statewide college savings account modeled after San Francisco’s Kindergarten to College Program (K2C). In 2011 when he was Mayor, Gavin and I launched K2C based on research showing that children with savings accounts will be up to seven times more likely to attend college than those without an account. Today, as a result of Newsom’s vision back in 2011, 46,000 public school students in San Francisco have K2C accounts, and have $8.6 million saved for college. I am beyond thrilled to see this program go statewide, and provide low income students with $500 to start saving for college.