Flora Crane Service, Inc. v. Ross

Plaintiff appeals from a judgment denying a peremptory writ of mandate in a proceeding to compel various officers of the City and County of San Francisco (hereinafter called “the city”) to take the steps set forth in the city charter to certify the availability of funds for payment under a contract for the performance of public improvements.

The dispositive issue is whether at the time mandate was sought the defendant city controller was under a clear ministerial duty to make such certification. For the reasons hereinafter delineated we have concluded that the controller was under such a duty;…