Proposition B

San Francisco Department of Sanitation and Streets, Sanitation and Streets Commission, and Public Works Commission

Would amend the charter of the City and County of San Francisco to create the Department of Sanitation and Streets to perform specific duties currently performed by the Department of Public Works; create two new commissions to oversee the Department of Public Works and the new Department of Sanitation and Streets; and require an annual performance audit and cost and waste analysis for both departments. Proposition B requires a simple majority (50% + 1) to pass.

Fiscal Impact: Would increase city government costs by an estimated $2.5 million to $6 million annually beginning in fiscal year 2022-23, assuming no change to current service levels.

Next San Francisco County Measure: Proposition C

See Endorsements for Proposition B

Pro:

Proponents of Proposition B argue that during the COVID-19 pandemic, sanitation and cleanliness have never been more important and the City needs a department dedicated to street and sidewalk cleaning to keep public areas sanitary and communities healthy. They argue that San Francisco is one of the only major American cities without a Department of Sanitation, and infectious disease experts say that the streets are so dirty that the risk of infection is as high as communities in parts of the world suffering from extreme poverty.

A YES vote on this measure means: The City would create a Department of Sanitation and Streets, with oversight from a Sanitation and Streets Commission, and establish a Public Works Commission to oversee the Department of Public Works.

Con:

Opponents of Proposition B argue that the measure senselessly carves up and politicizes the Department of Public Works by creating two new bureaucracies and transferring power to the Board of Supervisors and Mayor. They argue that because there are no new obligations or standards, the state of City streets and sidewalks would remain the status quo.

A NO vote on this measure means: The City would maintain the Department of Public Works with its current duties.

Background

The City Administrator oversees the Department of Public Works and appoints its director with the Mayor’s approval. The City’s Department of Public Works, which was created by the City Charter, has four divisions:

Operations, which maintains City buildings, streets, sewers, street trees, sidewalk trash cans and sidewalks, and removes graffiti;
Building Design and Construction, which designs, builds and renovates City buildings and structures;
Infrastructure Design and Construction, which maintains City streets, sidewalks, curb ramps, plazas, bridges, tunnels and stairways; and
Finance and Administration.

Proposition B Proposal

Proposition B would create a Department of Sanitation and Streets, which would take over some of the duties of the Department of Public Works. The new Department of Sanitation and Streets would be responsible for the following, with the Department of Public Works continuing to provide all other services required by law:

Sweeping streets and cleaning sidewalks
Providing and maintaining sidewalk trash cans
Removing graffiti and illegally dumped waste
Maintaining City buildings, public restrooms, and street trees

Proposition B would also remove the Department of Public Works from the purview of the City Administrator and create a new five-member Public Works Commission which would have oversight over the Department of Public Works. It would also create a new five-member Sanitation and Streets Commission to oversee the new Department of Sanitation and Streets.

Members of the new five-member Commissions would be appointed as follows, with the Director of each being chosen by the Mayor from candidates selected by the Commissions: The Board of Supervisors would appoint two members, the Mayor would appoint two, and the City Controller would appoint one. Lastly, Proposition B would require the Services Audit Unit to evaluate whether there are inefficiencies or waste in the administration, operations, and spending of both departments each year.

Source: Legal Text of Proposition B and League of Women Voters of San Francisco Nonpartisan Analysis of Proposition B

Official Resources

City and County of San Francisco Department of Elections

Official San Francisco Voter Guide for November 3, 2020

Nonpartisan Analysis

San Francisco and California November 2020 Voter Guide. SPUR.