Ballot Measures to Watch
Tax on Vacant Residential Units. This measure HAS qualified for the ballot. You can read the summary here.
Summary: Supervisors Preston, Chan, Peskin, and the Democratic Socialist Association (DSA) are supporting a ballot measure that would tax residential building owners and individual condo owners if left vacant. “Vacant” in this context includes: if the owner travels for work more than 183 days per year or has family staying in unit for 183+ nights per year. Fines would ramp up to a maximum of approximately $10,000 per year. The measure claims to be directed at large real estate companies but there is no protection for small landlords and individual condo owners who would be exposed to punitive taxes. In promoting this measure Preston claims that there are 40,000 “vacant’ units in SF when reporting points to the number being closer to 8,000 and with carve-outs so that Preston himself (and others similarly situated) would not be subject to the tax, bringing the overall number closer to 4,000.
Gross Receipts Taxes for Guaranteed Income Programs and Small Business Assistance. This measure has not yet qualified for the ballot. You can read the summary here.
Summary: this ordinance would increase taxes on certain businesses and use 70% of that revenue for a Guaranteed Income Program in San Francisco. 15% would be applied to general government uses while 15% would be allocated to support locally-owned small businesses.
District Supervisor Election
At this critical time in San Francisco politics, it is very important to follow what is happening in all districts. Even though we don’t have Supervisors who are elected city-wide, decisions by all Supervisors affect your quality of life and your District. San Francisco’s even-numbered District Supervisors are up for election this November.
Here’s the candidate rundown:
District 2: Catherine Stefani (incumbent) is running unopposed.
District 4: Joel Engardio and Leanna Louie are running against incumbent Gordon Mar
District 6: Matt Dorsey, the sitting supervisor recently appointed by Mayor Breed is up for re-election by the voters. His challengers include: Honey Mahogany, Ms. Billie Cooper, and Cherelle Jackson
District 8: Kate Stoia is running against Rafael Mandelman (incumbent)
District 10: Brian Sam Adam is running against Shamann Walton (incumbent)