BOMA SF-PAC Voter Guide for the June 5, 2018 Election

BOMA San Francisco's Political Action Committee's Voter Guide
June 5, 2018 Election

The BOMA SF-PAC is looking forward to the June 5, 2018 election. Our members have endorsed candidates for elected office and taken positions on the following propositions. If you are a registered voter in San Francisco, please reference this guide when you vote!

If you have any questions, John Bozeman, BOMA San Francisco's Director of Government and Industry Affairs, at johnb@boma.com.

Candidates

San Francisco

Mayor – London Breed

Board of Supervisors, District 8 – Jeff Sheehy

California

Governor - Gavin Newsom

State Assembly District 17 – David Chiu

State Assembly District 19 – Phil Ting

State Board of Equalization District 2 – Malia Cohen

Federal

US Senate - Dianne Feinstein 

US Congressional District 12 – Nancy Pelosi

US Congressional District 14 – Jackie Speier 

Local Propositions

• OPPOSE Proposition A - Charter Amendment: Revenue Bonds for Public Utilities Commission Clean Power, Water, and Clean Water Facilities
• Authorizes the SFPUC to issue revenue bonds for power facilities when approved by ordinance receiving a two-thirds vote of the Board of Supervisors. Amends the Charter to allow the SFPUC to finance new power facilities that increase delivery of energy.
• This 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.
• SUPPORT Proposition B - Charter Amendment: Appointed Board Members and Commissioners Seeking Elective 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.
• OPPOSE Proposition C - Ordinance: Tax on Commercial Rents to Fund Child Care and Education.
• .5% additional GRT on leases of commercial space; 1% on warehouse space
• Estimated to raise $146 million annually;
• Funds early child care and education;
• Tax would not apply to gross receipts from leases that have the following uses: industrial, arts, or non-formula retail, non-profit and small businesses;
• Requires 50% + 1 voter approval to pass;
• OPPOSE Proposition D - Ordinance: Additional Gross Receipts Tax on Commercial Rents for Housing/Homeless
• 1.7% additional GRT on leases of commercial space
• Estimated to raise $70 million annually;
• Funds low/middle income housing and homeless services;
• Tax would not apply to gross receipts from leases that have the following uses: PDR, retail and services, entertainment, arts and recreation, non-profit and small businesses;
• Requires 67% voter approval to pass;
• SUPPORT Proposition E - Referenda: Repeal of Ordinance Banning the Sale of Flavored Tobacco Products
• 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.
• OPPOSE Proposition F - Ordinance: City-Funded Legal Representation For All Residential Tenants in Eviction Lawsuits
• “No Eviction Without Representation Act”
• 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.
• SUPPORT Proposition G - Ordinance: Parcel Tax for San Francisco Unified School District (Teacher Salaries)
• “Living Wage for Educators Act of 2018”
• 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 businesses and residents.
• SUPPORT Proposition H - Ordinance: Use of Tasers by San Francisco Police Officers
• “The 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.
• BOMA San Francisco has supported providing our City’s law enforcement professionals with all tools and equipment that helps them to protect public safety.
• OPPOSE Proposition I - Declaration of Policy: Relocation of Professional Sports Teams
• “Thou Shall Not Covet” other cities 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.
• SUPPORT - Regional Measure 3
• Toll revenues would be used to finance a $4.45 billion slate of highway and transit improvements in the toll bridge corridors and their approach routes.
• If approved by a majority of voters in San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties.