San Francisco Supervisor Beya Alcaraz abruptly resigns after one week on the job

By Tim Fang

After one week on the job, recently appointed San Francisco supervisor Isabella “Beya” Alcaraz announced that she is resigning.

Alcaraz, a 29-year-old lifelong resident of the Sunset District and onetime owner of The Animal Connection pet store, was sworn in on Nov. 6 to fill the District 4 seat recently vacated by Joel Engardio. She had no previous political experience before her appointment

In a statement late Thursday, Alcaraz said, “I believe that my community deserves someone who will work 24/7 to advocate for us. And I understand that today’s news stories would distract me from doing that. As a result, I told Mayor Lurie this evening that I will resign from my position as District 4 supervisor.”

Alcaraz has faced increased scrutiny following news reports about the pet store, which she sold earlier this year.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Julia Baran, the woman who now owns the business, said the store had a severe mouse infestation and a freezer full of dead animals when she took over.

The news website Mission Local also published text messages purportedly between Baran and Alcaraz, in which Alcaraz wrote that she paid workers “under the table” and paid for dinners with friends as a “business expense.”

Alcaraz’s statement did not specifically address the reports about the store or the text messages.  

“She and I agreed, as we always have, that the Sunset deserves a supervisor who is fully focused on serving the community. We also agreed that the new information about her conduct while running her small business, which I learned today, would be a significant distraction from that work,” Mayor Daniel Lurie said.

“I admire her commitment and willingness to raise her hand to serve, just as much as I respect her decision to step aside in the best interest of her neighborhood. I regret that I didn’t do more to make sure she could succeed,” the mayor added.

Lurie said that he and his team will get back to work in filling the District 4 seat.

Engardio was recalled on Sep. 16 following backlash over his support of a ballot measure that turned a stretch of the Great Highway into Sunset Dunes, a park that opened earlier this year. The measure, which was approved by voters across the city last year, faced heavy opposition from District 4 residents.