November 2026: Vote YES on Proposition E, the City Administrator and City Contracting Reform Charter Amendment

What Is It?

Proposition E is one of three ballot measures that Mayor Lurie is promoting to reform aspects of city elections and governance. (The other two are Proposition D, which would make changes to the ballot measure process, and Proposition F, which would make changes to the management of the City’s executive branch agencies).

Currently, San Francisco has complicated and cumbersome requirements for City agencies entering into contracts and procuring goods and services. That has resulted from the accumulation of many rules and procedures over the years and from the various approaches that different City departments take. In addition, many relatively small contracts require approval by the Board of Supervisors. The cumulative effect of this is that the City’s contracting and procurement procedures move slowly, companies are discouraged from doing business with the City, competition is reduced among those vying to do business with the City, and the cost of goods and services needed by City government is more expensive.

Proposition E would centralize contracting and procurement authority with the City Administrator. It would authorize the Administrator to propose ordinances to reform contracting and procurement rules and allow those ordinances to go into effect unless the Board of Supervisors or the Mayor rejects them within 60 days. It would change the thresholds for when contracts require Board of Supervisors approval from $1 million to $4.5 million for revenue-generating contracts and leases and from $10 million to $25 million for expenditure contracts. The City’s Controller could adjust those thresholds in the future to take inflation into account. Finally, Proposition E would lengthen the term of the City Administrator from five years to ten.

Why Does SFLCV Support It?

San Francisco’s current slow and expensive contracting procedures can be a major obstacle to accomplishing the City’s environmental priorities, such as projects to improve Muni service, provide affordable housing, enhance public parks, or safeguard the environment. They also undermine the public’s confidence in the City’s ability to effectively address the many challenges that it faces.

Proposition E would empower the City Administrator to simplify contracting procedures and to drive down the cost of goods and services that the City purchases.

Please vote YES on Proposition E.