Opinion: A letter to Sunset community about Recall Engardio

Dear Sunset Community,

Supervisor Joel Engardio has attempted to mislead the public by framing the recall effort against him as an attempt to reopen the Great Highway to cars. This is not only false—it’s a deliberate distraction from the real issue: his dishonesty and failure to engage in honest, inclusive governance.

Let’s be clear: the recall is not about the Great Highway. It’s about how Supervisor Engardio bypassed transparent community engagement and ignored the voices of many residents in the district he was elected to represent.

The controversy surrounding Proposition K didn’t arise out of nowhere—it was the product of a flawed and exclusionary process, initiated without broad public consultation and pushed forward without community consensus.

From the beginning, Engardio framed the idea of making the Great Highway car-free as if it had overwhelming support, when in reality, the community was deeply divided. Instead of facilitating open forums, listening sessions, or inclusive town halls, he moved forward with an agenda that prioritized the interests of a select few while alienating others.

Many neighbors—especially those in the Sunset District—felt blindsided. Their concerns about access, emergency response, traffic diversion, and mobility for seniors and families were dismissed as secondary, if acknowledged at all.

The resulting Proposition K became a symbol not of progress, but of political overreach. A more inclusive process could have led to a thoughtful compromise, but instead we got a ballot measure born out of frustration and mistrust.

Supervisor Engardio’s unwillingness to conduct genuine outreach, particularly to those with opposing views, eroded the community’s confidence in his leadership. Rather than unifying, he divided.

This is why many constituents are now pursuing a recall. Not because of a single vote or a stance on a contentious issue, but because of a pattern of behavior that undermines the principles of democratic representation.

When elected officials stop listening to the people they serve, stop seeking common ground, and stop respecting the diversity of opinion in their districts, they lose their legitimacy.

Engardio’s attempt to simplify the recall as being “about the Great Highway” is a deflection. It’s easier to paint recall supporters as anti-environment or anti-progress than it is to answer for his lack of transparency and poor communication.

But voters are smarter than that. They know the issue isn’t cars versus bikes. It’s honesty versus spin. Process versus imposition. Representation versus arrogance.

Recalls should never be taken lightly. They are extraordinary tools reserved for extraordinary breaches of public trust. In this case, many feel that threshold has been crossed.

When a leader disregards the people’s voices, rewrites the narrative, and misrepresents the community’s motives to serve his political ends, a response becomes necessary.

This recall is about restoring honest leadership and respect for community input. We deserve a supervisor who listens, engages, and unites— rather than one who divides and deceives.

Let’s hold our leaders accountable to the standards we expect of anyone who claims to represent us.

Sincerely,

* Albert Chow is a San Francisco native, owner of Great Wall Hardware 42 years, lived in the Sunset 49 years, President of People of Parkside Sunset