Prop C implements sensible reforms to the recall process in San Francisco.

The power of voters to recall an elected official is vital to democracy. When enough San Francisco residents agree that a representative acts in a way that conflicts with the duties of the office and contrary to the public good, we should be able to mount a grassroots effort to remove them from office.

However, as we have seen in last year’s statewide effort to recall Governor Newsom and in the current effort to recall San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, recall elections are being misused by deep-pocketed outside interests when they are unhappy with election results.

And, currently when a San Francisco officeholder is removed by recall, it is the Mayor who chooses their replacement – giving the Mayor’s office outsized influence over who holds positions of power in the city.

Prop C addresses these issues in several ways. First, it narrows the window of when recall elections can happen. Currently, anyone in office for 6 months can be subject to a recall. Prop C extends that to one year, meaning officeholders serve for 12 months before they can be recalled.

In 2019, the San Francisco League of Conservation Voters endorsed a first-choice vote for Chesa Boudin in the District Attorney race. At that time, SFLCV determined that Boudin was well qualified to steward our City’s most vulnerable communities and bring those responsible for environmental contamination to justice, without exacerbating incarceration rates. Boudin was duly elected in November 2019.

Two years into his tenure, District Attorney Boudin has faithfully carried out the duties of the office. Underlying Prop H is a widely held misconception about the District Attorney’s role. The DA cannot prosecute crimes until and unless the police make an arrest. Local reporting shows that SFPD itself has a problematic record. And reliable data demonstrate that Boudin files charges at higher rates than previous DAs. In any event, reasonable people can disagree about Boudin’s record and policies. Debate about and voting on these differing views are the very foundations of democracy. Indeed, voters will debate and vote on his performance when the District Attorney race is on the ballot next year.

Prop F improves San Francisco’s process for setting rates for refuse collection, bringing more transparency and oversight to the City’s approval of residential and business costs for garbage and recycling pickup.

Created 90 years ago, the current regulations do not include adequate monitoring or safeguards against corruption, and as we have seen, this invites scandal. Most recently, due to this regulatory shortfall, the Department of Public Works allowed Recology to overcharge residents by millions of dollars.

The San Francisco League of Conservation Voters urges a YES vote on Proposition A.

This bond measure will provide crucially needed funding for transportation-related capital projects such as:

• repairing and improving Muni’s light rail system, including with a new train control system;

• improving the speed and reliability of Muni’s bus system through improved traffic control and street networks;

• modernizing Muni’s antiquated bus facilities that are unsafe, inefficient, and unable to accommodate new generations of zero-emission electric buses;

• enhancing the safety, attractiveness, and convenience of sidewalks, crosswalks, and the bike line network;

• replacing and enhancing traffic signals to enhance pedestrian and vehicular safety;

• repairing and enhancing San Francisco’s streets.

In addition to funding these efforts directly, passing Prop A is even more important because by providing local funds, we are eligible to receive critical state and Federal matching funds.

The San Francisco League of Conservation Voters is very happy to endorse David Chiu for City Attorney. In his long career on the Board of Supervisors, and as a state legislator in Sacramento, David has been a great advocate for environmental issues such as reducing plastic pollution, promoting clean energy, and enhancing public transit.

We have no doubt he will continue his environmental focus as the San Francisco City Attorney. Indeed he already has, tackling serious air pollution related to industrial dust in the Bayview when numerous other agencies were unable to solve the problem.

Prop B attempts to address the ongoing strain of unsanitary conditions on the City’s sidewalks and streets and the issues of corruption in the Department of Public Works. Few San Franciscans will argue against a long overdue overhaul of the Department of Public Works - particularly after revelations of upper management accepting bribes and the overwhelming magnitude of street trash and hazardous waste.

However, we at the League do not believe this solution will be any more effective than the status quo and yet will leave us with more bureaucracy. Perhaps more importantly, it will do nothing to address the underlying social welfare concerns needed to dramatically improve street safety conditions.In the wake of fraud allegations at the Department of Public Works, District 6 Supervisor Matt Haney introduced Prop B, which amends the City Charter to split off Public Works’ street cleaning, sidewalk maintenance and sanitation duties into a new agency. Given that Prop B amends the City Charter, voters must approve the change with a majority vote.

District 3’s incumbent Supervisor, Aaron Peskin, has been a long time environmental champion on the Board. While some may question his pugnacious approach to the rough and tumble world of City Hall, it is impossible to question his tenacity and his results.

On numerous critical issues, Supervisor Peskin has not only voted for good legislation but has led the charge by creating such legislation - sweating the details such as securing funding, working to change structural hurdles (such as state laws or problems in the City Charter) and overcoming opposition where possible, or finding meaningful compromise where it was not.

The race for District 5 Supervisor, which spans much of the Western Addition, including the Haight and the Divisadero corridor, offers a choice between two strong, environmentally minded candidates. This is a reprise of the November 2019 election between Vallie Brown, a seasoned City Hall veteran, and incumbent Dean Preston, an affordable housing community organizer. Last year, after much deliberation, the San Francisco League of Conservation Voters ultimately threw our support behind Brown, the then-incumbent, based on her record of environmental leadership on the plastic bag ban and CleanPowerSF. Preston went on to claim a narrow win in that election. We decided to switch our endorsement this year, because while we have a great deal of respect and admiration for Supervisor Brown’s environmental work, we have real concerns about her well-known eviction related issues.

District 9, representing Bernal and the Mission District, is among San Francisco’s more progressive districts, and Hillary Ronen represents it well.

Her focus as a Supervisor has largely been on women’s and immigrants’ issues, along with the affordable housing and homelessness crises that have gripped her district for over a decade.. She’s helped to build or stabilize close to 1,400 units of affordable housing in the district and has advocated for new height and density increases to enable more affordable housing. She’s been outspoken on the need to compassionately address the issues of homelessness that plague our City, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

Proposition F would change the way SF taxes business, by replacing the payroll expense tax with a more progressive gross receipts tax. A payroll tax sends the wrong signal to businesses, making it more expensive to hire additional employees, at a time when we need to do everything we can to encourage increased employment.

Additionally, Prop F would have a tax rebalancing effect by decreasing gross receipts tax rates on sectors that have been most impacted by COVID-19 (i.e. retail, hotels, restaurants), while increasing rates for the tech sector to be on par with similar professional and financial services.

The San Francisco League of Conservation Voters endorses Yes on Prop J.

Prop J is an annual $288 parcel tax that would generate $50 million annually for San Francisco United School District teacher salaries, providing a $5,500 raise per teacher.

This is a replacement initiative for June 2018's Prop G parcel tax to fund teacher salaries. SFLCV endorsed Prop G, and San Francisco voters approved it with 61% of the vote. The city has been collecting the parcel tax authorized by Prop G since it passed, but hasn't been able to spend the money because the initiative has been tied up in litigation. At issue is a murky legal question about whether the tax needs a 2/3rd majority vote to be implemented.

The San Francisco League of Conservation Voters endorses Yes on Prop I.

Prop I is a straightforward measure that doubles the existing real estate transfer tax on sales of properties in excess of $10 million.

• The current tax rates are: 2.75% for properties of $10-25 million and 3% for properties over $25 million.

• Prop I would increase those rates to: 5.5% for properties of $10-25 million and 6% for properties over $25 million.

Supervisors Preston, Haney, Mar, Ronen, and Walton are the sponsors of this measure, and they placed it on the ballot in anticipation of heightened investor interest in San Francisco real estate due to an expected COVID-19-related economic downturn. If a property is sold to the City or to an affordable housing developer, it is exempt from the tax.

Prop G, Vote 16 SF would amend the City Charter to allow 16 year olds the right to vote, if passed by a simple majority of voters this November.

The San Francisco League of Conservation Voters endorses Yes on Prop G.

During election time, adults are always encouraged to vote for candidates and propositions that promise a better tomorrow for themselves and for the next generation of young people. The irony is that most young people are not given the same opportunity to make decisions about what kind of world they want to live in, and that is a shame. It’s time to expand voting rights to young people who are 16- and 17-year olds so they too get to help shape their future.

Prop C, SF Commissions for All, would open City commissions, committees, and boards to all residents of San Francisco that are of "legal voting age." Current requirements limit members of these public bodies to registered SF voters, i.e., citizens.

The San Francisco League of Conservation Voters wholeheartedly endorses Yes on Prop C.

The city charter amendment enjoys unanimous support from the Board of Supervisors, and follows a state law signed by Governor Gavin Newsom last year, SB 225, that allowed noncitizens to serve on state boards and commissions, but did not extend to local boards.

Proposition A is the 2020 Health and Recovery Bond, a $487.5 million General Obligation Bond to fund mental health and homelessness facilities, parks and street repairs. The funds will be spent as follows:

• $ 207 Million for facilities that provide treatment and supportive housing for the homeless/mentally ill

• $ 239 Million for parks and recreational facilities

• $ 41.5 Million for curb ramps, street resurfacing, street structures and the pedestrian right of way

As a General Obligation Bond, the City will borrow the $438.5 million, and then pay it back from property tax revenue. It is important to note that (in keeping with 2006’s Capital Plan) the City only issues new bonds as old bond debt is retired. Property tax rates stay the same and the net effect is neutral on San Francisco’s property owners.

Measure RR authorizes a modest 30-year sales tax of 0.125% (1/8 cent) to fund operating and capital expenses of the San-Francisco-to-Gilroy Caltrain commuter service. This is important even for San Franciscans who don’t use Caltrain, because local transit agencies such as Muni currently contribute funding to Caltrain. A dedicated funding source will free up local transit agencies who need to focus on their own recovery and financial sustainability.

Proposition K authorizes San Francisco to build or acquire 10,000 units of municipal social housing. Municipal social housing units would be owned by the city and offer permanently affordable housing for a range of incomes, with an average income less than 80 percent of the median income. This housing would also be kept off of the private real estate market. Voting “yes” on Prop K is the first procedural step to creating this urgently needed affordable housing in San Francisco.

The San Francisco League of Conservation Voters endorses John Avalos for District 11 Supervisor.

After sitting out for a term, John Avalos is back! John is a long-standing progressive advocate for working San Franciscans with a strong track record of strengthening public transit, increasing affordable housing, and supporting green energy.

The San Francisco League of Conservation Voters endorses Myrna Melgar for District 7 Supervisor.

As in much of San Francisco, the biggest environmental issues in District 7 are transit and housing, especially affordable housing. According to the City’s Affordable Housing Pipeline dashboard, outside of Park Merced, only one unit of affordable housing has been built in District 7 since 2013, and none are planned in the future. In a city suffering from extreme income inequality, gentrification, and homelessness, this is unacceptable.