San Francisco and California Ballot Backstory · Why is this on my ballot?
Prop F: summary
Changes to Executive Branch Management
Mark your own choices here. You may bring this sheet into the voting booth.
A YES vote means
Unless the Board objects, the Mayor could merge most departments, not eliminating Charter duties. Allows deputy mayors, firing most department heads, removing commissioners without cause.
A NO vote means
The Mayor cannot move Charter departments’ duties or fire most department heads. Most Charter departments can’t have deputy mayors. Commissioners usually need cause for removal.
Both ovals are empty on purpose. The choice is yours.
If it fails
Nothing changes if it fails
If Prop F fails, current City rules stay. The Mayor cannot move the duties of Charter departments, and most of them cannot have deputy mayors. A department's board or commission can usually fire its head.
Why it’s on the ballot now
Prop F’s own findings say San Francisco’s Charter is the longest of any major U.S. city, and most departments are written into it, so even organizational changes need voter approval.
The findings say the Mayor must directly supervise nearly 50 department heads in a government of more than 30,000 employees, but can hire and fire only a small share of them.
Prop F’s findings say that in recent cases of serious ethical lapses, the Mayor could not immediately remove department heads. Opponents say Mayors can already remove corrupt officials by showing misconduct or with a Board majority.
Supporters say Prop F came from a process, starting with a Charter Reform Working Group convened by Mayor Lurie and Board President Mandelman. Opponents say the Board never heard it.
The money
The Controller says Prop F’s effect on government costs would be minimal, at a level that cannot be determined at this time. The Controller puts the average yearly cost of each deputy mayor at about $250,000. Merger costs or savings depend on the plan. As one example, the Controller cites a 2022-23 merger that saved an estimated $3.5 million in its first year.
Needs a simple majority (50% + 1) to pass Some measures need 55% or two-thirds of votes to pass. This one needs only a simple majority.Who bears the cost
City government (the General Fund)
The Controller says Prop F would have a minimal impact on the cost of government, at a level that cannot be determined at this time. The Controller puts the average cost of a deputy mayor at about $250,000 a year.
The strongest case for and against
Strongest case for
Supporters include Mayor Daniel Lurie, Board of Supervisors President Rafael Mandelman and former Controller Ben Rosenfield. They say departments now act as separate units, not as one coordinated government. They say the system protects insiders. They say six department heads have been indicted or investigated for corruption in the last decade. They say the Mayor can now hire and remove only a handful of department heads when self-dealing is exposed or they fail at the job. Letting the Mayor hire and remove most of them, they argue, creates clear lines of accountability. They say better-organized departments will deliver faster permits and cleaner streets. They say a Board majority can reject any reorganization. They also say the Ethics Commission and police oversight stay independent.
Strongest case against
Opponents include Small Business Forward, Supervisor Jackie Fielder and former Supervisor Dean Preston. They say it removes checks and balances. They say it lets the Mayor “merge and eliminate departments” and “alter departments’ core objectives,” and gives the Board only 60 days to object, without hearings. They say commissioners could be removed for any reason, and department heads fired without commission hearings. They say Mayors can already remove corrupt officials for misconduct or with a Board majority, and warn of political firings of whistleblowers. They say the Board never heard it, and wealthy tech donors paid to put Props D, E and F on the ballot.