No matter what happens in San Francisco’s special recall election on Sept. 16, Supervisor Joel Engardio will perhaps always be remembered as the man who closed the Upper Great Highway and turned it into Sunset Dunes.
This is certainly driving rancor and discussion more than his relatively abridged legislative record is, strategists said.
Since taking office in January 2023, Engardio has sponsored 29 pieces of legislation, mostly focusing on district issues. Only nine of those are ordinances that bring actual policy change.
That’s about a quarter — or less — as much legislation as supervisors in other suburban districts. Connie Chan, who represents the Richmond, sponsored 129 pieces of legislation, including 34 ordinances. Myrna Melgar of District 7, which spans from Inner Sunset to Parkmerced, sponsored 111, including 33 ordinances.
Other supervisors not representing the Outside Lands, too, have sponsored more than 100 pieces of legislation: 148 from Rafael Mandelman, 112 from Matt Dorsey, and 101 from Shamann Walton.
District 4 is “not really a district that’s known for legislative output,” said David Ho, a political consultant who lived in the Sunset for 23 years. Residents’ concerns center around things like potholes or fallen trees. “None of that requires legislation.”
In similar District 2, during the first two years of former Supervisor Catherine Stefani’s term, she sponsored 80 pieces of legislation, including 24 ordinances.
But even if the district’s concerns focus on potholes or fallen trees, it does help to have something else to counter the electorate’s focus on Prop. K and a closed Upper Great Highway.
And, at the end of the day, political strategists say, there are simply not enough legislative achievements to save the supervisor from a recall effort fueled by high emotions.
“Looking at the granular facts about bills and policy, it’s all really important,” said Jason Overman, a Bay Area political consultant. “But campaigns are driven largely by human emotions. ‘Do I feel this person represents my values?’”
And, for the Sunset voters who felt left out of the decision on the Great Highway, the answer appears to be “no.”
Though Engardio was just one of five supervisors to put Prop. K on the ballot, his detractors won’t let him forget it: “It’s Engardio who tried to bully his own constituents into closing down the Great Highway,” a campaign mailer reads.
While the measure passed citywide with nearly 55 percent of the vote, in District 4, only 36 percent of voters favored it.
“I don’t think anyone will question Joel’s work ethics or his commitment to his district. He’s actually a hard-working supervisor,” said Ho. “But I don’t think most District 4 voters care.”
Engardio, for his part, said that constituent service is the hallmark of his office, and he is proud of his work outside the board chambers. “That’s been a priority because, at a city supervisor level, this is where you can actually make an impact,” he said.
His office, Engardio said, has responded to thousands of constituent inquiries to fix things — what he calls a “fix-it file” — and he specifically hired staff who are more interested in constituent services. “I believe in helping people fixing their daily problems and being thoughtful about legislation that could actually solve problems that a fix-it file can’t solve,” he said.
One of those achievements was the Sunset Night Market, which Engardio started in 2023 with community organizations. It was great while it lasted: For two years, it attracted thousands of people to the Sunset for the food, performances and a good time.
But the market, after late reimbursements from the city and complaints from some businesses, was canceled this year — and another similar night event, organized by Irving Street merchants and the organization Dear Community, wants nothing to do with the supervisor.
Most laws from Engardio focused locally
At City Hall, too, Engardio has prioritized district concerns since taking office in January 2023. Four out of the nine ordinances Engardio introduced were aimed at helping local businesses with very specific city problems.
In 2023 and, again in 2024, Engardio sponsored ordinances to make special zoning changes to help the United Irish Cultural Center on 45th Avenue redevelop its building.
He changed the definition of a bulb-out curb area in front of White Cap, a bar on Taraval Street, to a sidewalk, so businesses could put out tables and chairs. He designated the Parkside Branch library as a landmark.
Engardio “basically pushed us over the finish line,” said Liam Reidy, president of the United Irish Cultural Center. “He was very sympathetic and supportive to everything we’re doing, knowing that there are very few places like the Irish Center with our doors open to everybody in the community.”
One of Engardio’s five citywide laws waived fees for installing business signs, pedestrian street lighting and new awnings. Another more recent example was a series of laws — three ordinances and one resolution — to make it easier for homeowners to build, maintain and sell in-law units in their backyard.
The laws would benefit homeowners citywide, but there are a lot of single-family homes spanning the avenues in District 4.
City Hall policymaking often involves symbolic resolutions, and Engardio has produced plenty: In two years, Engardio introduced 12 resolutions, including statements affirming birthright citizenship, honoring American pharmacists and raising awareness of hepatitis, which disproportionately affects Asian Americans.
Engardio has also touted his work passing Prop. G, a ballot measure expressing support for algebra in public schools in eighth grade that passed in March 2024. But that measure was symbolic: Neither supervisors nor voters have direct power over the school district, which had already announced a plan to add algebra back to eighth grade.
When running for the seat, Engardio campaigned heavily on public safety. His public safety-related legislation includes calling two hearings on improving the city’s law enforcement data dashboards.
He’s also advocated for community ambassadors to walk the commercial corridors in the Outer Sunset, an achievement often highlighted in his plea to Sunset voters.
With the special election just three weeks away, consultants say fighting the recall remains a struggle.
“The math is possible, but the narrative is not on his side,” Ho said. “It’s like going to the casino and hoping you beat the house, right? You know it’s possible, but it’s likely not.”
In my progressive view, thinking about the Engardio recall measure is like thinking about the California redistricting measure: it’s hard to take a principled stand against it when doing so would only favor right-wing monied interests. Engardio’s undemocratic attacks on the school board and the DA, with the backing of sleazy Republican billionaires, leads me to say, RECALL ENGARDIO, my D4 neighbors!
That’s not true at all – Engardio’s backers are the Billionaire real estate grifters that are ruining SF, and the proponents of the recall are longtime locals and middle-class families that donate small amounts of their hard earned livelihoods to get the dissembling liar out and get ACTUAL representation in.
YES ON A. Engardio is a liar backed by dark money and the Sunset deserves much, much better – ELECT A LOCAL.
It doesn’t matter what else Joel did. He betrayed his constituents and that means he has to go. He will have plenty of time to enjoy his new park when he is out of a job.
I’m pleased to read that you’ve worked through the four previous stages of grief and have arrived at “Acceptance” that the park is here to stay.
“Tito” doesn’t even live in the Sunset so he doesn’t get a vote.
Sunset decides who represents us, and Engardio’s lies do not.
The trolling doesn’t make Engardio any more popular here fool.
Serves him right,
He won by cheating in the first place.
Yeah, our local ‘Non-Partisan Independent Redistricting Committee’ Chair Reverend Arnold Townsend yielded to pressure from London Breed (watch the tapes if you have a spare 50 hours) and and moved a few lines on a map to effectively deprive District 4 of its Asian voter majority.
That’s why this guy and Mahmood should be Recalled.
go Niners !!
h.
Can his record save him from recall?
No.
Never thought I’d be backing Joe E. 100 percent but this is a narrative that Joel and the anti recall people have been very successful in pushing. That Joel just endorsed prop K. The man sponsored it. Dishonest to the very end. What a sleaze bag. Hopefully he never has the opportunity for higher office
Joel came into office calling for recalls for people who had done “nothing wrong” and now cries about being recalled himself, after lying to his constituency and selling out to developers and techie transplants downtown. If you think he has a political chance in hell of getting re-elected, I have a beach to sell you. Sunset DEMANDS a non-liar as our representative, and Joel is radioactive gaslit garbage run through a PR department paid for by Billionaire dark money. Thanks but no thanks, we can do A LOT better and regardless of the recall’s outcome, we will soon.
NIMBYism is well and truly alive ! SF fake progressives want public spaces but not in their district
YIMBY is a cult run by developers to make their grifting look popular. It has nothing to do with being progressive, it’s all about cash.
Falling for it is failing an IQ test.
Are you referring to the NIMBY’s who pushed the cars off the Great Highway?
It is not the quantity of legislative actions voters appreciate. It is the response to their wants and needs. Joel is selling fun in the fog when the neighborhood wants peace and stability. He is bringing hordes of strangers that interrupt their lives. Joel is working for his funders and the people who want to destroy the neighborhood to make room for trickle down housing.
>>> “hordes of strangers that interrupt their lives”
You *do* realize that you live in the City and County of San Francisco, right? There are shy of 850,000 people who live in this City with you, complaining about “hordes of strangers” is something I’d expect from someone living well outside of Laramie, WY (pop. 33,000) *NOT* from someone choosing to live in the 4th largest city in the state of California.
>> “Joel is working for his funders and the people who want to destroy the neighborhood to make room for trickle down housing.”
Ahh…mysterious “funders” plotting a the destruction of a neighborhood via “trickle down housing” (whatever that is).
No details, of course, just sweepingly bizarre conspiracies.
@TITO – Yep, once again the “hordes of strangers” nonsense, where “strangers” is anyone who lives east of the 40something Aves.
The “yer not from aroun’ here, we don’t take kindly to strangers in these parts” impulse is deeply reactionary.
Sunset still decides who reps the Sunset, get used to it sellouts.
I’ve lived in the outer sunset (47th & Kirkham) for nearly 15 years… the closure of the great highway was a blessing. Old people fear change, that’s all this recall is based upon. Traffic isn’t worse in the neighborhood, it’s actually gotten lighter. Everyone I’ve spoken to here (who is under 40) supports Joel.
Spare us your ageist stereotypes. As someone who collected signatures for this recall, I can assure you that many of them were from constituents who were “under 40.” Obviously you’re the one who fears change in this recall.
“He’s also advocated for community ambassadors to walk the commercial corridors in the Outer Sunset, an achievement often highlighted in his plea to Sunset voters. ”
He may have advocated for ambassadors but he is not doing enough to keep them in. the Sunset area. We understand the ambassadors were taken of D-4 and sent to other neighborhoods.
He could not add benches to the streets near the farmers market. You have to eat standing or sitting on the floor like a dog
You can keep your ambassadors. We have enough useless people smoking weed staring at their phones. Let the ambassadors stay on Market street
Joel is a puppet for Weiner, real estate developers, and wealthy investors. From day one he has lied to his own constituents, people who voted for him including me. He planned Prop K in secret, colluding with a real estate lobbyist in his city hall office, when at the same time he said nothing at all to his constituents before he secretly put K on the ballot. Then he tampered with his calendar to hide said meeting. He now faces an Ethics investigation for that. He tried to put a lie in the Voter Pamphlet. He cannot be trusted. We need a supervisor who respects and is loyal to his constituents. Joel is neither. He is loyal only to those who disrespect D4 residents and want to change our values and quality of life forever. He has used us to pad his resume. Now he can add another recall: his own.
Ah yes, D4, the recall crazed suburbia of San Francisco. I swear Sunset residents are some of the most entitled people in the city. The fight over the Great Highway is a prime example of that and something that will get reversed in a couple more years.
After the votes are in. Joel should book a trip to helsinki.when he arrives and passes through immigration he should inform officers that he moving from San Francisco because he finished.
This is Grade A irresponsible journalism. Here’s your headline: “Besides closing the Great Highway, what has Joel Engardio done?” ENGARDIO DIDN’T CLOSE THE GREAT HIGHWAY. Prop. K did. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves.
Hi there —
Supervisor Engardio was the leading advocate for Prop. K and its lead sponsor. With all due respect, you seem to be splitting hairs.
Best,
JE
@Joe I appreciate that you address comments directly. But the difference between sponsoring a proposition and unilaterally doing something is nontrivial. By this logic, David Cameron withdrew the UK from the EU.
Voters wanted Prop K. The headline is clearly clickbait.
At any rate, keep up the good work with ML. Your work is a bright spot in local journalism. But this headline is misleading at best.
You don’t seem to get it. Prop K would never have even existed if Engardio hadn’t created it.
It could have been proposed HONESTLY instead of at the last minute with developer dark money and secret illegally-redacted meetings with Google lawyers, for starters.
Joel is nothing but a liar.
They also illegally bypassed CEQA and ginned the stats. 25,000 people now drive through Sunset streets instead of on the SAFEST ROAD IN SF HISTORY, the GREAT HIGHWAY. They’ve made the Sunset LESS safe, LESS ecologically friendly and for what – Fake plastic “art” on a roadway? Good grief these people are dumb.
David Cameron opposed Brexit and resigned after Brexit passed because remaining as PM would be untenable.
Voters on east side of city wanted prop k. D4 voted 65% against. D1 voted 80% against in some precincts. In others, 70 %. Sure people on Eastside wanted a park on a needed road. They don’t have to live with the negative outcome on safety and quality of life.
If you think saying “he did it” is an accurate substitute for “the voters of San Francisco did it,” I think you’re in the wrong job – with all due respect.