Taxes, tobacco and Tasers — they’re all on S.F.’s June ballot
San Francisco voters will face a tax-heavy ballot on June 5, with measures to raise the Bay Bridge toll by $3, increase parcel taxes to fund teacher salaries and hike the gross receipts tax on commercial landlords — spending the money either on affordable housing or child care subsidies.
Those are four standouts on a ballot with two charter amendments, six public initiatives, one regional proposition and one measure submitted by city supervisors. Svelte compared with previous years, this ballot still bristles with controversy. In addition to the dueling tax initiatives, it includes a proposal to fast-track electronic stun guns for San Francisco police officers and a referendum to kill the Board of Supervisors’ ban on sales of flavored tobacco products. The city’s Department of Elections designated letters for each ballot proposition in a ceremony Monday morning, in which the title of each proposition was typed on a strip of paper, folded and pulled from a Mason jar.
This is how they will appear on June 5:
Regional Proposition 3 — Bay Area Traffic Relief Plan: Citing a need for $4.5 billion in
capital improvements to Caltrain, BART, Muni and several highways, the Bay Area Toll Authority is calling for a $3 increase in bridge tolls by 2025. The increase would finance the extension of BART through downtown San Jose and Santa Clara, Caltrain’s expansion to the San Francisco Transbay Transit Center, new Muni cars, and additional carpool lanes on Highway 101, among other major transportation projects. It would cover all Bay Area bridges except the Golden Gate. Proposition A — Public Utilities Revenue Bonds: This charter amendment would enable the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission to issue revenue bonds for facilities to produce hydroelectric power for city and port land, including developments on Treasure Island, the Hunters Point Shipyard, Pier 70 and Mission Rock. Proposition B — Prohibiting Appointed Commissioners from Running for Office: Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown had a policy of kicking political candidates off of city boards and commissions the moment they entered a race. He disliked the idea of anyone holding an appointed post while campaigning for office, saying it created the appearance of a conflict of interest. But the rule wasn’t always enforced. Supervisor Aaron Peskin seeks to revive and codify it with this charter amendment. Proposition C — Additional Tax on Commercial Rents Mostly to Fund Child Care and Education: Sponsored by Supervisors Norman Yee and Jane Kim and backed by the board’s progressive bloc, this initiative would raise the gross receipts tax from 0.3 percent on commercial landlords to 3.5 percent, spending most of the money on child care subsidies for low- and middle-income families and on wage increases for child care workers. Proposition D — Additional Tax on Commercial Rents Mostly to Fund Housing and Homelessness Services: Popularly known as “Housing for All,” this initiative by the moderate wing of the Board of Supervisors targets the same gross receipts tax as the childcare measure. It would raise the tax to 1.7 percent, using the money to build low- and middle-income housing and add homeless shelters. It requires approval from two-thirds of voters to pass, and it includes language to kill the child care measure.
Proposition E — Prohibiting Tobacco Retailers from Selling Flavored Tobacco Products: A “yes” vote on this measure seeks to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products in San Francisco, including menthol cigarettes, candy-tinctured shisha, cigarillos and electronic cigarettes with sweetened nicotine. The Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the ban last year, but it hit resistance from a group backed by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., which gathered enough signatures to put the matter to voters.
Proposition F — City-Funded Legal Representation for Tenants in Eviction Lawsuits: Any San Francisco resident facing an eviction would get a city-funded lawyer under this law, modeled after a similar one in New York. It would not apply to eviction proceedings brought by landlords who reside in the same unit as the tenant.
Proposition G — Parcel Tax for San Francisco Unified School District: This $298 parcel tax increase would boost salaries and benefits for the city’s public school teachers, beef up staff at the neediest schools, pay for classroom computers and software and set aside money for public charter schools.
Proposition H — Policy for the Use of Tasers by San Francisco Police Officers: Backed by the Police Officers Association, this measure would arm all San Francisco police officers with electronic stun guns, commonly known as Tasers, by the end of the year. It’s created a rift between Mayor Mark Farrell, who supports the effort, and Police Chief Bill Scott, who said it would thwart the Police Commission’s ability to develop a thoughtful policy governing the devices’ use. The split between Farrell and Scott adds political drama to a longfestering feud between the union — which considers Farrell an ally — and the commission.
Proposition I — Relocation and Professional Sports Teams: Self-identified Warriors basketball historian Allen Jones led the drive for this measure, which would put the city on record condemning the Warriors’ move from Oakland and prevent it from enticing other sports franchises to relocate in the future. Jones, who lives in his truck in the Mission District, attended the ballot designation ceremony Monday. He said this is his first foray into San Francisco politics.