Did City Hall have any idea how bad things were with Parks Alliance, the politically connected nonprofit under investigation after reports of financial mismanagement? Contracting documents reviewed by Power Play suggest that until the last minute, at least one city panel was giving the organization glowing reviews.

In February and March, officials from a smattering of city agencies gave Parks Alliance a 95.5% rating as part of efforts to evaluate proposals for grants from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development. Around the same time those evals started, the department’s CEO quietly resigned. 

According to the contracting documents, organizations were scored based on target population  (15 points), program design (20 points), experience (10 points), staffing (5 points), advancing equity (15 points), partnerships (5 points), impact and evaluation (15 points), and project budget (15 points).

On April 25, two days after the CEO’s resignation became public, Parks Alliance received a conditional letter of award for $40,000 to hold outdoor movie events. By early May, a spokesperson for MOHCD said the agency had become concerned about the nonprofit’s finances. Funding was pulled at a May 14 public meeting. 

Parks Alliance’s most recent Form 990 shows that its finances were blinking red as far back as July 2024. The organization ended the fiscal year with a major deficit, and both fundraising and revenue tumbled. 

Was any city money mishandled in the process? The city attorney's office is seeking answers as it reviews more than $1 million in active grants with the nonprofit.

Got tips? Send us an email at powerplay@sfstandard.com or text/call (415) 408-7504. 

TORRES MAKING MOVES: After 12 years as president of the San Francisco Housing Authority, Assessor-Recorder Joaquín Torres announced that he’s stepping down to focus on other political work. The decision sparked discussions Wednesday that he may be considering a run for higher office.

Mayor Daniel Lurie and Supervisor Shamann Walton were both quoted in an unusually long press release praising Torres, which may suggest the property-tax boss is about to make a move. Since Donald Trump was sworn back in as president, Torres has increasingly made himself available to the media to speak on behalf of Latino and immigrant communities.

In a call with Power Play, Torres deftly swatted away campaign questions, but there’s little doubt he’s working overtime politically. He and Supervisor Melgar convened a Cinco de Mayo luncheon, bringing together 120 Latinos in public service. Torres said he’s also working on a mentorship program to get more Latinos involved in public service.

“My career has never been guided by titles; it’s been guided by need, and that continues to be my focus,” Torres said.

Lurie wasted little time Wednesday in filling Torres’ seat on the Housing Authority. His office announced the appointment of Doug Shoemaker, president of Mercy Housing California, the state’s largest nonprofit affordable housing developer. Mercy manages 833 Bryant, the housing project financed by Tipping Point, Lurie’s nonprofit, which was a talking point during his mayoral campaign. 

FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING: Lurie is experiencing a lot of firsts: his first legislative win, his first Giants opening-day pitch. Now, Power Play is hearing, he might exercise another first: the veto. 

It’s Lurie v. Supervisor Bilal Mahmood as the two erstwhile allies negotiate the particulars of Mahmood’s “geographic equity” legislation, which would require each district to approve a homeless shelter. The anger in neighborhoods is bubbling up, as evidenced by a raucous meeting in the Marina this month over a planned sober living facility, and a Bayview petition for a moratorium on shelters in the district.

If Mahmood doesn’t agree to the mayor’s proposed amendments, Lurie could slam the veto hammer right down. But eight votes on the Board of Supervisors — a supermajority — would let Mahmood overturn that veto. 

City Hall is a-chatter, speculating as to whether Mahmood can pull it off. 

The geographic equity leg has five co-sponsors, so Mahmood starts with six votes in his pocket: his own and those of supervisors Walton, Matt Dorsey, Danny Sauter, Jackie Fielder, and Myrna Melgar.

Scuttlebut points to Excelsior Supervisor Chyanne Chen as another possible vote, though she might need concessions. While Marina Supervisor Stephen Sherrill might seem like an unlikely possibility, there’s already a sober living facility underway in his district, giving him an easy excuse to back the legislation.   

While Mahmood was coy as to whose support he may have, he did say this: “I wouldn't have introduced this legislation if I didn't think we had the votes to pass it.”

DEMS BRO DOWN: San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee cochair Emma Hare made waves this week with a resolution on the “unique societal challenges” facing boys and men that pushed this demographic into Trump’s arms in November. Up in Sacramento, Gov. Gavin Newsom has the same idea. 

At a Tuesday virtual rally hosted by Win the Fight Live, Newsom acknowledged in a panel focused on the economy that young people are increasingly worried about kitchen-table issues such as high housing prices and job security. 

“Particularly for young men, which is a deeper issue that we do need to be talking about as Democrats," he said. “We cannot cede that to the Republican Party and watch that get weaponized in the way that they do it.” 

It’s an issue the governor has admitted is a problem for Democrats in conversations on his podcast “This Is Gavin Newsom” with conservative figures such as Charlie Kirk.

The Win the Fight Live panel notably included three high-profile (male) content creators: Harry Sisson, a political social media influencer, and DougDoug and Atrioc, YouTubers who host the business podcast “Lemonade Stand.” 

Although their discussion didn’t explicitly target men, Newsom used the opportunity to appeal to young male voters by highlighting Democrats’ economic successes in contrast to the “chaos” of Trump’s tariffs and other fiscal policies. 

“This son of a bitch, Donald Trump, is going to shape-shift and convince young folks that he actually has their back, or even working folks’ backs, which is anything but,” Newsom said. 

IT'S A ZOO: After rumors of her possible ouster, embattled San Francisco Zoo CEO Tanya Peterson confirmed Wednesday afternoon that she still has a job.

At a closed board meeting Tuesday, according to a source, the zoo’s union and a former employee presented scathing letters criticizing Peterson, who has been dogged by accusations of mismanagement. Melinda Dunn, the zoo’s board chair, is reportedly leading efforts to remove Peterson. But no vote was taken. 

After leaving the meeting, Peterson hosted officials from the Chinese consulate to discuss the expected arrival of pandas. It was a “positive meeting,” Peterson said, pointing to a planned $4 million renovation of a panda habitat.

Behind this tempest is an apparently pricey PR standoff. Dunn has hired Max Szabo, Lurie’s campaign spokesperson and close ally, while the zoo is represented by public relations guru Sam Singer.

Note: In observance of Memorial Day, Power Play will be off this Sunday. We'll be back in your inboxes on Wednesday, May 28.

‘CURSED’: Squatters have repeatedly taken over a vacant building at 2050 Van Ness Ave. The owners hope to build apartments and retail space but say the economy crushed those dreams. 

ROOKIE COP FIRED: The San Francisco Police Department fired a recent police academy graduate who allegedly drove drunk and rammed into a car in the Outer Sunset, critically injuring at least one person.  

SORRY, GRADS: College seniors are right to feel anxious about their career prospects. While hiring for mid- and senior-level tech roles rebounded last year, opportunities at the entry level declined. 

—Edited by Annie Gaus