By Josh Koehn, Han Li & Gabe Greschler

A man in a suit sits at a desk, hands clasped. Behind him are a colorful abstract painting, a framed photo, and a small stack of books.

Daniel Lurie promised that his first budget as San Francisco mayor would not take half-measures to address a structural deficit, and it appears the path to achieving this goal will require layoffs of city employees for the first time in more than a decade.

In order to close the gap, sources tell The Standard, Lurie intends to permanently eliminate around 1,000 jobs — most of which are currently vacant or, to a lesser extent, filled by employees slated for retirement. Those cuts will include axing up to 10 positions from 15 to 17 departments, which could total around 150 layoffs. High-level details of Lurie’s budget were shared in a meeting Wednesday between the mayor’s staff and communications directors for city departments.

Roughly two dozen press officials attended the meeting in the conference space of Room 200 at City Hall. Han Zou, who was named communications director after Lurie fired his first comms chief, led the meeting and was joined by the mayor’s press secretary, Charles Lutvak, and chief of staff, Staci Slaughter. Details had already leaked that Lurie will spare public safety agencies from cuts, and during Wednesday’s meeting, his team reiterated that the top priorities are fighting crime, building housing, and keeping streets clean.

In addition to sharing the broad strokes of the mayor’s budget and answering questions, departments were told to flag all sensitive media inquiries, a practice that has become standard under the press-sensitive Lurie.

While many departments were represented at the meeting, it seems others, such as the Ethics Commission and the Department of Building Inspection, didn’t receive an invite. It’s not clear if this was meant as a dis or a sign of disorganization.

“They didn’t have the final numbers ready, and they didn’t really acknowledge anything,” said a source who attended the meeting. “They looked like it was their first budget.”

One source scoffed at the idea that cutting roughly 10 people from more than a dozen departments would make enough of a dent to balance the budget. They floated the possibility that the mayor’s office could take aim at Category 18 employees, who are exempted from civil service rules and whose job cuts would not technically be classified as layoffs.

“I don’t know if this is just a first round,” said another source who attended the meeting.

In the pipeline

RECALLERS, STAND BY: The question of whether to recall Supervisor Joel Engardio appears increasingly likely to land on the ballot after a sample count released Friday showed a 99.3% validity rate of signatures. The Department of Elections confirmed Wednesday that a decision is expected this week, potentially setting up a special recall election as early as September. The Ethics Commission has already posted an election date of Oct. 21.

The news reignited conversation around Supervisor Connie Chan’s idea to push a ballot measure to overturn Proposition K, reopening the Great Highway to cars. However, sources within City Hall told Power Play that moderates, who have a tenuous majority on the Board of Supervisors, are reluctant to turn the Sunset recall into a citywide election — only progressives and labor unions are showing interest.

Meanwhile, Engardio’s anti-recall effort is entering a new phase by naming a new campaign manager: Josh Raznick, who joined the team earlier this year and previously served as field director for TogetherSF. The former campaign manager, Lian Chang, is stepping down to care for her aging mother.

LAZAR HITS THE WALL: It is like the Nobel Peace Prize of San Francisco. The greatest honor a public servant can get. Your face will be etched in history … with a photo portrait at John’s Grill.

Outgoing assistant police chief David Lazar was given the distinction Wednesday afternoon during a goodbye luncheon at the steakhouse. After more than three decades with the San Francisco Police Department, Lazar was clearly esteemed by whomever chose the prominent location of the black-and-white photo. While waiting for your steak and baked potato, you can find Lazar right near the portraits of former mayors Willie Brown, George Moscone, and Dianne Feinstein.

Attendees at the luncheon included outgoing SFPD chief Bill Scott, interim chief Paul Yep, and former Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin. (The host of the event, Marisa Rodriguez of the Union Square Alliance, wondered out loud what Peskin’s next political move will be. “Deny, deny, deny,” Peskin responded.)

What’s next for the longtime cop? “I'm going to take it easy,” said Lazar, who added that he may join another police department or head to the private sector. “I'm young. I'm not fully retiring. Maybe I'll work for The Standard.”

Jokes aside, Lazar and others wouldn’t spill the tea on who will be the next chief. Or the other major question: Will that person be remembered fondly enough to get a portrait at John’s?

PANDA POWER: The saga surrounding San Francisco Zoo CEO Tanya Peterson is just like an episode of “Game of Thrones.” After months of scrutiny and scandals, Peterson appears to be consolidating power rather than losing it.

At least two board members — including a key figure in the investigation into Peterson’s leadership — have resigned, marking a major victory for the embattled zoo boss. The power dynamics within the 30-member board remain unclear, but Peterson’s deep involvement in the zoo’s high-profile panda deal may have played a crucial role in her survival. Insiders say several Chinese American community members who support the panda program may soon be nominated to the board — potentially strengthening Peterson’s influence even more.

For now, Peterson appears secure in her position. Justin Barker, an animal rights activist and longtime critic of Peterson, bemoaned the board’s lack of consensus. “It’s really disappointing,” he said, urging the mayor’s office to intervene.