Chiu Departure Means Double-Play Time at SF City Hall

With the vacant positions, the board, which doesn't have a meeting on Dec. 2, will likely vote on who should take over as interim president at its Dec. 9 meeting. And the vote will likely be taken by 10 members. 

Mayor Ed Lee is tasked with appointing a board member to serve the remainder of Chiu's term. If the mayor waits until Jan. 9, the appointee would have the opportunity to potentially serve for 10 years, not a mere six, which is what some involved in politics say is Lee's intention. Some observers say there's a good chance the mayor plans to appoint Cindy Wu, current chair of the Planning Commission and community planner with the Chinatown Community Development Center, a nonprofit housing provider, to fill the District 3 seat. 

If the board appoints an interim president next month, then it would have to vote again on the position on Jan. 8, under the City Charter. But the board could potentially delay the decision until Jan. 9 to wait for the mayor's appointee to vote with the full 11 board members. That means whomever is potentially named interim board president in December may not be a shoo-in for the two-year board presidency term.

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