Rules Committee unanimously backs charter language to codify DEM director qualifications

Supervisor Asha Safaie introduced a charter amendment to establish within the city charter the Department of Emergency Management director position, specify minimum qualifications and clarify appointing authority.

Safaie told the committee the change reflects the expanded responsibilities DEM has assumed since the COVID pandemic and recent emergencies and that the measure seeks to preserve the level of expertise currently embodied by the department’s director. "Our current director Marion Carroll has done a phenomenal job and she set the bar and we want the bar to remain at her level or higher," Safaie said.

No public speakers opposed the measure. The committee voted unanimously to send the charter amendment to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation.