More than 50 people gathered at San Francisco City Hall on Monday morning to protest proposed budget cuts of $8.9 million in senior and disability programs.
The protesters started outside Mayor Daniel Lurie’s office at 10:30 a.m. and stopped by each supervisor’s office, demanding full restoration of cuts and sharing hundreds of notes from seniors across the city.
On June 1, Lurie presented a $16.9 billion proposed budget for fiscal years 2026-27 and 2027-28, which could close a $642 million two-year deficit, according to the city’s website.
The mayor’s budget also proposed a $2.9 million cut to Department of Disability and Aging Services programs, and cuts of $6 million more to other departments and organizations serving seniors.
Throughout the month of June, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will deliberate and adjust before voting to approve the budget for the mayor to sign by July 1.
“Our goal is to make sure that the supervisors are aware of what’s going on,” said Kate Kukro, co-executive director of Community Living Campaign, a program supporting seniors and people with disabilities.
“This is the period of time where both the mayor can still make changes if he wants and the supervisors can make changes through their process,” she said. “The money is there. There’s a lot of places they can look for the money, and they just need to do it.”
In front of each office, the protesters sang a parody of “Over the Rainbow” from The Wizard of Oz, with the lyrics “Somewhere in San Francisco, there are funds to help those needing home care, food or a computer hub.” Protesters asked the lawmakers to “focus on real people’s needs, not just big tech and the police” in the song.
Some supervisors listened to the protesters’ demands and responded to them in the crowded hallway. District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter and District 1 Supervisor Connie Chan both said they supported protesters and hope to restore the funds to seniors and disability programs.
“I represent the district with the highest number of older adults anywhere in San Francisco, so it’s a big, big priority for me,” Sauter said. “That’s what these next two weeks are about, about restoring these cuts and making these changes.”
Chan, who is also the chair of the Board of Supervisors Budget and Appropriations Committee, said she was committed to delivering the people’s budget.
“We’re going to make sure that we fund our seniors, people with disabilities, the most vulnerable in San Francisco,” Chan said. “We’re going to make sure that people hear us, because we know our budget is the statement of our values.”
