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San Francisco 2016 Nonpartisan Voter Guide

This year’s local ballot is a doozie. San Francisco voters will decide 25 measures and 11 candidate races.

Baffled by our local election letter jumble? The Public Press is here to help. We’ve organized the propositions by theme and alphabetically….

We’ll continue updating this guide through Election Day, Nov. 8, with new details on campaign spending and endorsements. Have questions about San Francisco measures? Email us or drop us a line on Twitter or Facebook, and we’ll do our best to provide the answers. Sign up here to receive email newsletter updates.

Check out our rundowns for candidates, and the organizations endorsing them, by selecting a local race from above. And scroll to the bottom of this page to see some other election guides that caught our eye.

Housing/Development

City Hall Spending

Funding Infrastructure

Government Oversight

Balance of Power

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

$2 Million Fills War Chests of S.F. Candidates as Races Heat Up

09.07.2016

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By Sara Bloomberg, Reporter

With two months until Election Day, more than $2 million has been amassed in the collective war chests for local candidate campaigns, 90 percent of which has been raised for six Board of Supervisors seats.

Housing

What Nevius Gets Wrong About Tech and Politics

09.09.2016

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By Sara Bloomberg, Reporter

San Francisco Chronicle columnist Chuck “C.W.” Nevius is imploring tech companies “to get into politics, particularly grassroots politics in cities like Oakland and San Francisco.” But he misses the obvious: the tech industry is and has been deeply involved with local politics, led by Ron Conway (photo).

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition A: $744 Million Bond for S.F. Schools

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This bond measure would provide up to $744.25 million to build new schools and an arts center; rehabilitate and modernize other school facilities; upgrade information technology; create “green” school yards, and construct affordable housing for teachers and other school workers.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition B: Raise and Extend Parcel Tax to Help City College

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This measure would increase and extend a parcel tax for the City College of San Francisco that will otherwise expire in 2021.

The community college board voted 7-0 to place this initiative on the ballot.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition D: Limiting the Mayor’s Power in Filling Vacancies

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This Charter amendment would require the mayor to act fast when appointing people to fill vacancies in elected office — but appointments to the Board of Supervisors would be temporary and appointees not be allowed to run in a subsequent election for the remainder of the term.

The supervisors voted 6-5 to put this initiative on the ballot.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition E: Returning Tree Maintenance to City Hall

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This Charter amendment would make it City Hall’s responsibility, once again, to maintain trees and surrounding sidewalks, the care obligation of which had recently transferred to private-property owners.

The Board of Supervisors voted 11-0 to put this initiative on the ballot.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition X: Preserving Space for Arts, Small Businesses and Community Services

09.28.2016

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By John Angelico

This ordinance would require that developers in parts of the Mission and South of Market neighborhoods build replacement space if their projects displace arts activities, certain light-industrial and craft business or community-related facilities.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition F: Lowering the Voting Age

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This Charter amendment would lower the minimum voting age to 16 for municipal and school elections in San Francisco. Voting for federal candidates (president and Congress), state offices and state ballot measures would remain at 18 years old.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition H: Creating a ‘Public Advocate’ Watchdog

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This Charter amendment would create an elective office and a city agency tasked with holding other agencies and officials accountable to citizens.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition J: Creating Funds for Homeless Services, Transportation

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This Charter amendment would lock City Hall into annual spending on services for homeless people, and on public transit maintenance and upgrades.

The Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 to put this initiative on the ballot.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition K: Raising the City’s Sales Tax

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This Charter amendment would raise the city’s sales and use tax by 0.75 percent, to 9.25 percent.

The Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 to put this initiative on the ballot. Voting for: John Avalos, President London Breed, David Campos, Malia Cohen, Mark Farrell, Eric Mar, Katy Tang and Scott Wiener. Voting against: Jane Kim, Aaron Peskin and Norman Yee.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition L: Giving Supervisors More Say Over Transit

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This Charter amendment would shift some power from the mayor to give the Board of Supervisors more say over how the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency operates.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition M: Creating Oversight for Housing, Development

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This Charter amendment would make two major city agencies accountable to a new, third body, called the Housing and Development Commission.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition N: Enabling Non-Citizen Parents to Vote in School Board Elections

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This Charter amendment would allow non-citizen parents, legal guardians and caregivers of children 18 years old or younger who reside in San Francisco to vote for school board candidates. These new voters, who would register with the city’s Department of Elections, would need to be at least 18 years old and not be otherwise disqualified from voting under the California Constitution or state statute.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition O: Speeding Up Office Construction in the City’s Southeast

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This ordinance would amend the Planning Code to permanently exempt a mixed-use redevelopment mega-project in the Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood from previous voter-approved, citywide limits on office space and allow such construction to be expedited there.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition P: Competitive Bidding for Some Affordable Housing

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This ordinance would require City Hall to solicit more bids and be more transparent in the construction or rehabilitation of affordable housing on city-owned property.

The initiative was placed on the ballot through verified petition signatures.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition Q: Outlawing Tent Encampments on Sidewalks

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This ordinance would make it illegal for people to pitch tents or similar shelters on city sidewalks.

This measure was placed on the ballot by Supervisors Malia Cohen, Mark Farrell, Katy Tang and Scott Wiener.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition C: $260 Million in Bonds for Affordable Housing

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This bond measure would provide funding to rehabilitate, buy or build affordable housing by redirecting unused bond authority San Francisco voters granted in 1992 to loan money to property owners for seismic upgrades.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition R: Creating a ‘Neighborhood Crime Unit’ Within the Police Department

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

Prop R: This ordinance would direct the Police Department to create a unit focused on making neighborhoods safer and improving quality of life.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition S: Paying for the Arts and Homeless Services with S.F. Hotel Tax

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This ordinance would shift some of the city’s spending specifically to the arts and homeless services.

The initiative was placed on the ballot through verified petition signatures.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition T: Restricting Lobbyist Gifts and Contributions to Politicians

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This ordinance would prohibit lobbyists from contributing money to an elected official if they are registered to lobby the official’s agency, and also bar campaign contributions to candidates for those offices. It would also keep them from giving gifts to elected officials or candidates and their family members. The measure would require lobbyists to notify the Ethics Commission before they planned to lobby a government office or make payments to influence legislation or administrative action.

The San Francisco Ethics Commission voted 4-0 to put this measure on the ballot.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition U: Raising Income Limits for Access to Affordable Housing

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This ordinance would double the income limits for applicants to some “affordable housing,” which would then be available to middle- and upper-income earners.

The initiative was placed on the ballot through verified petition signatures.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition V: Taxing Sugary Drinks

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This ordinance would tax sugar-sweetened beverages, syrups and powders at the point where those products were distributed to markets and restaurants in San Francisco.

This measure was placed on the ballot by supervisors Malia Cohen, Mark Farrell, Eric Mar and Scott Wiener.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Proposition W: Raising Transfer Taxes on Property Worth at Least $5 Million

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This ordinance would raise the tax paid to the city when properties worth $5 million or more change owners.

The Board of Supervisors voted 10-1 to put this initiative on the ballot.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

District Measure RR: Maintaining, Upgrading BART with a $3.5 Billion Bond

09.28.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

This regional bond measure would raise money to rehabilitate and update the Bay Area Rapid Transit system.

If passed, it would raise property taxes.

This initiative was placed on the ballot by a 9-0 vote of the BART Board of Directors.

2016 Non-partisan Voter Guide

Board of Supervisors: District 11

10.11.2016

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By Noah Arroyo, Assistant Editor

Dist 11 Candidates:
Kim Alvarenga,
Magdalena de Guzman,
Berta Hernandez, Francisco Herrera, Ahsha Safa