San Francisco Ballot Propositions Guide 2020
The ISF Ballot Proposition team reviewed the San Francisco Ballot Propositions for November 2020. Below are summaries and our recommendations for each. You can find all of these ballot propositions at https://sfelections.sfgov.org/measures.
See also our list of California Ballot Propositions.
How did we reach our recommendations? The ISF Ballot Proposition team researched each ballot proposition, including the arguments for and against it. We weighed whether the effects of the proposition align with our Mission, Vision, and Values. We also researched the stances of our allies and partner groups on the propositions. Finally, the voter guides were voted and commented on by our membership.
Proposition A - Health and Homelessness, Parks, and Streets Bond
If this measure passes, the City will sell bonds totaling $487 million in value over 30 years to fund permanent and transitional housing facilities, shelters, and facilities for those needing services for mental health, addiction, or homelessness.
We’re in the midst of a crisis of surging poverty amid existing housing scarcity, while still under a shelter-at-home order due to an ongoing pandemic; we need to build up capacity to get unhoused San Franciscans (existing and new) off the streets and into shelter, and we need to do so rapidly. A bond issue makes sense as the tool to fund this expansion of shelter capacity in service of public health and safety.
Proposition B - Public Works Commission, Department of Sanitation and Streets, and Sanitation and Streets Commission
If this measure passes, the SF Charter will be amended to split the current Department of Public Works to form a new agency, the Department of Sanitation, which will be charged with the responsibilities of street and sidewalk cleaning. It also creates a 5 person commission to oversee the approval of new contracts, hold public meetings, and evaluate the overall performance.
Now more than ever, we need a dedicated focus in keeping our community healthy and sanitary. After years of neglecting the conditions of our streets, this common sense measure is a much-welcomed improvement.
Proposition C - Removing Citizenship Requirements for Members of City Bodies
If this measure passes, it would amend the charter to allow for non-citizens to serve on boards that advise City Hall on public policy issues like housing, education and healthcare.
Allowing non-citizens to serve on advisory boards and in other City bodies is an important step forward for equity in San Francisco. The City will be able to better serve its residents who are non-citizens if they can participate in the democratic process and represent themselves in the government.
Proposition D - Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board and Inspector General
If this measure passes, it would amend the charter to create the Sheriff’s Department Oversight Board and the Sheriff’s Office of Inspector General (“OIG”) separate from the Department itself. These bodies will receive, review and investigate complaints against the Sheriff’s department and in-custody deaths, recommend a use of force policy, and refer evidence of criminal misconduct to the District Attorney.
In light of recent events, it’s increasingly clear that law enforcement must operate under strict regulation and oversight. San Francisco already has an oversight board for its police department, as well as a citizen’s review board for the BART police department. The Sheriff’s department should have the same amount of scrutiny as the other law enforcement agencies operating in the City.
Proposition E - Police Department Staffing Levels
If this measure passes, it would amend the charter to repeal an existing amendment that mandates minimum police staffing levels in the city.
Under the current charter, the SFPD must maintain at least 1,971 full duty sworn officers at all times, and to keep the number of sworn officers dedicated to neighborhood policing to at least the level in 1994.
The proposed measure will remove these requirements, and would require the Police Commission to consider the SFPD’s reported staffing requirements when approving SFPD’s proposed budget.
In the midst of the pandemic and an ongoing conversation on the role of police in our communities, making changes to reduce SFPD staffing is an important tool. Right now, the City budget is being cut across the board because of the costs incurred by the pandemic - but the SFPD budget cannot be reduced in any meaningful way because of the minimum staffing requirement. This means that other important departments like Public Works, libraries, and homeless outreach are taking the brunt of the cuts. Cutting SFPD’s budget would allow the City to reinvest in its most vulnerable communities instead of over-policing them.
Read our deep dive on the importance of removing minimum SFPD staffing requirements here.
Proposition F - Business Tax Overhaul
If this measure passes, it would change the way “baseline funds” are increased or decreased. “Baseline Funds” are city funds for public transportation, parks, libraries, education and more. These are funded by taxes on businesses operating in the city. This measure will increase taxes on tech companies and financial service firms, while other kinds of companies are taxed less.
Additionally, this measure repeals the payroll expense tax.
This measure was put on the ballot as a result of closed-door negotiations between Mayor Breed and the Board of Supervisors to find a way to unlock the tax revenue created by Prop C and Prop G of 2018 for homeless outreach.
Indivisible SF supported and promoted Prop C in 2018, and we were saddened to see it getting tied up in lawsuits after passing. We believe Proposition F will allow the City to fairly tax the businesses that benefit from being in San Francisco and aren’t in industries negatively affected by the pandemic. The revenues will be used to obtain housing and other services for homeless people.
Proposition G - Youth Voting in Local Elections
If this measure passes, it would amend the charter to allow 16 and 17 year olds to vote in municipal elections.
We believe the young people of San Francisco can contribute greatly to local politics and would benefit from participation and representation in the democratic process.
Proposition H - Neighborhood Commercial Districts and City Permitting
If this measure passes, it would ease the permitting process for certain business during the pandemic. It does this by broadening the definition of applicable businesses, waiving fees for administrative delay, among other changes. Proposition H also broadens the definition of what is a “philanthropic” organization to more than just nonprofit.
ISF Recommendation: NO RECOMMENDATION on H.
We were not able to determine any significant positive or negative effects of this proposition based on our mission, vision, and values.
Proposition I - Real Estate Transfer Tax
If this measure passes, it would increase the Real Property Transfer tax rate from 2.75% to 5.5% on transfers of properties worth at least $10 million. It would also raise the Real Property Transfer tax rate from 3% to 6% on transfers of properties worth at least $25 million. Read the legislation here
San Francisco is in dire need of emergency rent relief and affordable housing. ISF supports higher taxes on rich property owners. We believe the additional tax revenue generated by this Proposition would help the city invest in those most hurt by the pandemic.
Proposition J - Parcel Tax for San Francisco Unified School District
If this measure passes, it changes the Parcel Tax (a kind of property tax) from $320/parcel to $288/parcel, while making the revenues the tax generates more specifically targeted at schools and education. An identical measure passed in 2018, but the funding to schools has been stalled pending appeal of litigation.
Proposition J rewrites most of the Living Wage for Educators Act of 2018 to be more specific and easily enforceable. It appears that Proposition J is on the ballot because the original $320 parcel tax is currently tied up in litigation and the revenues from it cannot be used to fund schools. Mayor Breed proposed this new proposition to get around the legal battle and generate revenue to fund schools during the coronavirus crisis.
This proposition appears to better enforce the application of the parcel tax to school funding, and gets around litigation blocking already-passed taxes that fund schools.
Proposition K - Affordable Housing Authorization
If this measure passes, it will authorize the City to develop, construct or acquire up to 10,000 residential units of affordable rental housing.
Under Article 34 of the state constitution, a ballot measure is required to allow a city to create affordable housing, and this is that ballot measure.
The construction of new affordable housing is crucial to our most vulnerable communities, especially in the midst of a pandemic.
Proposition L - Business Tax Based on Comparison of Top Executive's Pay to Employees’ Pay
If this measure passes, it will amend the Business and Tax Regulations Code to impose additional taxes on businesses with a greater than 100:1 ratio of salary between highest employee (CEO) and median employee. The tax would be a percentage of the businesses gross receipts attributable to the city, going from 0.1% to 2.4% depending on the size of the ratio and other circumstances. The revenues from this tax would go into the City’s general fund to be expended for any City needs.
The enormous and widening pay gap between corporate executives and regular corporate employees is a hallmark of increasing wealth inequality in America. Many major corporations operate in San Francisco, contributing less than their fair share in taxes while stuffing the pockets of their CEOs and shareholders. Taxing corporations based on their pay gap is a good way to bring revenue to the city, which can be spent on helping our most vulnerable communities and those affected by the pandemic.
Proposition RR - Caltrain Sales Tax
If this measure passes, it will impose a 0.125% sales tax on retail transactions, for 30 years, to fund the operations of the Caltrain rail service.
Caltrain is crucial to the commutes of thousands of people in the Bay Area, and we believe a sales tax to continue funding the service is justified.