SF panel advances plan to seek private funds for panda project as critics voice concerns

A committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors has approved a resolution that would allow city departments, including the mayor’s office, to solicit donations from private philanthropic groups to help fund the costly endeavor of hosting giant pandas from China at the San Francisco Zoo.

In order to raise money from private entities, Mayor London Breed must be granted an ethics rules waiver since the city’s behested payments ordinance prevents city officials from soliciting private donations. The ordinance is an ethics rule that restricts city officials from receiving private funding, which can influence their decision-making and cause corruption.