For those registered to vote, we are now receiving a mountain of information about the election. In addition to official materials from the State of California and the San Francisco Department of Elections, many pieces of mail sent by various organizations will seek to influence the way you vote. If you want to do something to stop receiving so much election material (and positively contribute to the environment), vote early. Most political campaigns do not want to waste resources on trying to influence people who have already voted. The information below will enable you to get a head start on learning about the issues.
California ballot measures
Based on the California Secretary of State’s data, the following propositions are stated to be on this fall’s ballot. Click on each link to learn about the specifics of each proposition.
Proposition 1
Authorizes Bonds for Housing Affordability Programs.
Proposition 2
Increases State’s Rainy Day Fund. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.
Proposition 4
Repeals Prohibition Against Public Funding of Election Campaigns. Legislative Statute.
Proposition 5
Changes Recall Election Process for Statewide Officers. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.
Proposition 37
Creates Loan Program for Middle-Income Buyers of Qualified New Homes. Initiative Statute.
Proposition 38
Authorizes Bonds for Immunology Medical Research. Initiative Statute.
Proposition 39
Prohibits Citizens from Voting Unless They Present Government-Issued Identification. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Proposition 40
Imposes One-Time Tax on Certain Taxpayers. Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute.
Proposition 42
Prohibits New State Personal Property Taxes and Certain Retroactive State Taxes. Initiative Constitutional Amendment.
Proposition 43
Limits Voters’ Ability to Raise Revenues for Local Government Services. Legislative Constitutional Amendment.
Proposition 44
Requires Community Health Clinics Spend 90% Of Revenue on Program Services. Initiative Statute.
Proposition 45
Modifies Environmental Review for Certain Projects. Initiative Statute.
San Francisco ballot measures
Full text for each of the measures below can be found at sf.gov/qualified-ballot-measures. Below the title of each City measure is the question that will appear in the voter handbook that was written by City Attorney David Chiu.
Full text for each of the measures below can be found at sf.gov/qualified-ballot-measures. Below the title of each City measure is the question that will appear in the voter handbook that was written by City Attorney David Chiu.
Charter Amendments
A: Charter Changes Affecting Various City Departments and Commissions
“Shall the City amend the Charter to align it with how some City departments currently operate, change some processes, eliminate or reorganize certain commissions and advisory bodies and require the Board of Supervisors to amend voter-approved laws to enact some of these changes?”
B: Establishing a Municipal Finance Corporation and a Public Bank
C: Contributions to the Housing Fund
“Shall the City amend the Charter to change how the City’s annual contributions to the Housing Trust Fund are set, increase funding and expand programs for affordable housing, and extend the Fund to 2058?”
D: Changes to Ballot Measure Process
“Shall the City amend the Charter to increase the requirements for signature initiatives from 2% to 8% of registered voters in San Francisco (currently from about 10,600 to about 42,500 signatures), increase the requirements for calling special elections, allow signature initiatives to be withdrawn before an election, and remove the ability of a minority of Board of Supervisors members or the Mayor to place measures on the ballot?”
E: City Administrator’s Authority and Changes to City Contracting
“Shall the City amend the Charter to give the City Administrator more authority by centralizing the City’s purchasing rules and processes, changing how the City approves purchasing rules, changing when contracts and leases require Board of Supervisors approval, and extending the City Administrator’s term?”
F: Changes to Executive Branch Management
Shall the City amend the Charter to expand the Mayor’s authority to transfer responsibilities between departments, hire deputy mayors and hire some and fire most department heads; and to allow City officials to remove members of boards and commissions without cause?”
Ordinances
G: Allowing Private Vehicles on the Great Highway in Sunset Dunes Park
“Shall the City close Sunset Dunes Park from Monday at 4 a.m. through Friday at 6 p.m., unless a holiday falls on a weekday, in order to reopen the roadway known as the Upper Great Highway to private vehicles during that time?”
H: Parcel Tax to Fund Public Muni Operations
“Shall the City fund Muni service through a new annual parcel tax on real estate at rates ranging from $129 per parcel up to a maximum of $400,000 per parcel, depending on the type of property and its size and adjusted annually for inflation, for estimated revenue of $177 million a year for 15 years?”
I: Changes to Real Property Transfer Tax (Affordable Housing Guarantee Act)
“Shall the City permanently dedicate half of the transfer tax revenues collected when certain real estate with a value or sales price of more than $10,000,000 changes hands, which will continue to be taxed at rates of 5.5% to 6%, to be spent only on affordable housing, including social housing developments and housing assistance and exempt certain sales from the dedicated portion of the tax, for an estimated annual revenue decrease of approximately $1 million?”
Note: This is a tax that was approved by voters in 2020 with the intent but not the mandate to spend these tax receipts on affordable housing.
J: Removal of Foreclosure Exemption for Real Property Transfer Tax
“Shall the City permanently apply a transfer tax of between 0.5% and 6% of a property’s fair market value, on the transfer of properties such as commercial, industrial and large residential properties, that are transferred to a lender because of foreclosure or to avoid foreclosure, for estimated annual revenue of $100 million to $150 million?”
Regional Measures
RTM: Regional Transit Measure
Provides financial support to public transit agencies. “The Initiative Measure would impose a retail transactions and use tax ordinance applicable to the District, for a duration of 14 years, and in an amount of 0.5% in the counties of Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo, and Santa Clara, and 1% in the City and County of San Francisco.”
Barry Hermanson is a member of the San Francisco Green Party County Council. Before he retired, he owned and operated a small business and was a leader in the small business and political communities in San Francisco.
Categories: Commentary
