The June election ballot contains critical initiatives that impact San Francisco businesses. Join the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, SF Forward, and the local business community in voting for a better San Francisco on June 5, 2018.
VOTE YES
LOCAL MEASURES
PROP B / Appointees Running for Office
A Charter amendment requiring appointees on San Francisco boards and commissions to give up their seats when running in state or local elections, a common practice in the past that helped prevent appointed office-holders from enjoying unfair advantages. It’s good government policy that levels the playing field.
PROP H / Safer Policing Initiative
This initiative ordinance authorizes the San Francisco Police Department to train and deploy officers to use Tasers as a non-lethal alternative to firearms. Most big-city police departments equip officers with Conductive Energy Devices (CEDs), including Tasers. While the Police Commission has approved a taser policy, it places unreasonable limitations on their use and has yet to be implemented. We recommend YES on Prop H.
REGIONAL MEASURE
REGIONAL MEASURE 3 / Bay Area Traffic Relief
Reduces area traffic congestion by financing urgently needed highway and public transit improvements through gradual toll increases on the region’s state-owned bridges (not including the Golden Gate Bridge), to fund new BART and MUNI metro cars, Caltrain extension to the Transbay Terminal and freeway improvements. A majority of voters in all nine Bay Area counties must vote to approve the measure to pass.
STATE MEASURE
PROP 68 / Beautiful Parks and Clean Water
This General Obligation Bond provides billions of dollars to upgrade state parks and increase accessibility to urban parks and recreation facilities in low-income areas. It also funds clean water and drought resiliency programs. Bond revenue guaranteed to Bay Area cities means significant savings to local government for parks and water system improvements.
VOTE NO
LOCAL MEASURES
PROP A / Power Facilities Revenue Bonds
An amendment to the City Charter gives almost unlimited power to the PUC and Board of Supervisors for revenue bonds to be issued, without voter approval, to replace or expand the city’s electrical power systems. This authority could be used later to bypass existing bond measure ballot requirements in order to construct competing power systems, an action San Francisco voters have rejected before.
PROP C / Tax Increase for Childcare
This voter initiative drafted by Supervisor Kim, but placed on the ballot by voter petitions, adds a substantial 3.5% surcharge to the city’s commercial rent tax to fund early childhood services, increasing Gross Receipts Tax rates on local businesses. It will so significantly raise office rents that some may relocate or move personnel out of San Francisco.
PROP D / Tax Increase for Housing and Homelessness
A competing measure to Prop C, this initiative ordinance placed on the ballot by Supervisors Safai, Sheehy, Cohen, Tang and Farrell adds a smaller 1.7% surcharge on the commercial rent tax to fund housing and homeless programs. It will raise rents on office space, though it reduces the business license fee for small businesses. Should both Props C and D pass, the measure with the most affirmative votes prevails.
PROP F / Legal Representation for Evicted Tenants
This voter initiative requires the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development to create a program that provides legal services for residential tenants facing eviction. These matters are best addressed legislatively rather than by the ballot. Legislation to implement such a policy is pending at the Board of Supervisors.
PROP I / Relocation of Sports Teams
A non-binding Declaration of Policy that aims to discourage the Golden State Warriors from moving from Oakland to San Francisco next season. This last-ditch demand won’t stop the move or prevent other sports teams from relocating as they choose. In fact, bringing the Warriors home to San Francisco will produce economic benefits for the whole Bay Area.
The San Francisco Chamber of Commerce is neutral or has taken no position on the following measures.
NEUTRAL
PROP G / Parcel Tax for Teacher Salaries
San Francisco Unified School District parents and the teachers union collected signatures to place this parcel tax on the ballot to fund a 2% salary increase for teachers following a three year, 11% increase approved last November. If passed the $298 per parcel tax would appear on property tax bills starting July 1 of this year. Increasing salaries may help reduce a teacher shortage but the additional tax may be burdensome to some San Francisco residents.
NO POSITION
PROP E / Referendum on Flavored Tobacco Sales Ban
This referendum suspended an ordinance passed by the Board of Supervisors banning sales of flavored tobacco products. The ordinance was supported by healthcare organizations and opposed by small business advocates. A coalition opposed to the ordinance collected signatures to put this referendum on the ballot. A ‘yes’ vote is a vote to keep the ban on sales of flavored tobacco products in place; a ‘no’ vote is a vote to repeal the ban and allow sales of flavored tobacco products.