Gerry Shih/The Bay Citizen

Mayor Edwin Lee

San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee could be announcing a decision by Monday on whether he will run for mayor in November, the head of the city's police union said Thursday.

"Our information is that there will be a clear picture of the current mayor's decision by close of business on Monday," San Francisco Police Officers Association President Gary Delagnes said Thursday afternoon. Delagnes said the union had been in contact with the mayor's office to invite Lee to participate in a mayoral forum it is hosting Thursday night.

Mayoral spokeswoman Christine Falvey would not confirm today whether Lee would make an announcement on Monday.

"He's making a decision next week," Falvey said.

Delagnes said the union was told by the mayor's office that Lee would not be attending the debate because he has not yet made a decision on whether to run.

Delagnes said it will be difficult for the police union to give Lee an endorsement if he decides to run, given the lateness of his entry into the race and the union's ties to many of the other candidates.

"One of the problems a lot of people are having in the city is that many of us have good relations with many of the candidates," he said. "These are people that have been friends with us and our organizations for years, so we're being put in a very difficult spot."

Lee, who was named interim mayor in January following the election of former Mayor Gavin Newsom to the post of lieutenant governor, previously said he planned to return to his old job as city administrator after his term ended but now says he is considering running for mayor.

Lee said earlier this week that he was still undecided on whether to run, and that a decision would come next week. The deadline for filing to run is next Friday, Aug. 12.