Proposition F

Changes to Executive Branch Management

Proposition F would amend the Charter to expand the Mayor’s authority to transfer responsibilities between departments, hire deputy mayors, and hire some and fire most department heads; and to allow City officials to remove members of boards and commissions without cause.

This measure requires approval by a majority of voters voting on the measure to pass.

Fiscal Impact: Proposition F would have a minimal impact on the cost of government, although at a level that cannot be determined at this time. The potential costs or savings incurred for changes in staffing authorized by this proposition cannot be determined without knowing which departments would be involved and how the departments would be restructured.

See Endorsements for Proposition F

Pro:

Supporters argue that Prop F tackles City Hall Corruption, creates clear lines of accountability by allowing the mayor to hire and remove most of their department heads, better organizes departments delivering faster and better results, exposes self dealing, and strengthens checks and balances by maintaining Board of Supervisor oversight over city department and the Mayor’s changes.

A YES vote on this measure means: you support amending the Charter to expand the Mayor’s authority over departments, deputy mayors, and removal of officials.

Con:

Opponents argue that the Clean Up City Hall campaign has spent over 4 million dollars to put 3 Charter measures on the ballot favoring the Mayor and wealthy corporate interests.

These measures were never heard by the Board.
5 of 11 Board Supervisors have declined to endorse them.
They had no public scrutiny and have had no cost analysis.
These are NOT consensus measures

Prop F removes essential checks & balances. They argue that even if you do like and trust this Mayor, you may not like or trust the next Mayor or the one after that.

A NO vote on this measure means: you are against amending the Charter to expand the Mayor’s authority over departments, deputy mayors, and removal of officials.

Background

The Mayor is the chief executive officer of the City and is responsible for oversight of all departments and governmental units in the executive branch, which includes most City departments. The Mayor has authority to transfer functions and reorganize executive branch departments created by ordinance, subject to rejection by the Board of Supervisors but may not transfer functions or reorganize department powers and duties established in the City’s Charter. Those functions, powers, and duties may only be changed by an amendment to the Charter approved by the voters.

The Mayor may not hire deputy mayors who supervise most departments created in the Charter but often must select a department head from a list of candidates recommended by the board or commission. For most of those departments, the board or commission may fire the department head but the Mayor may not.

The Mayor, Board of Supervisors, and other elected officials have authority to appoint certain members to the boards and commissions established in the Charter. In most cases, an appointed member may only be suspended or removed for cause, after a process to determine that the member engaged in official misconduct or committed a felony involving moral turpitude.

Proposal

The proposed measure would allow the Mayor to reorganize executive branch departments that exist under the Charter, with certain exceptions. The Mayor could transfer powers and duties set forth in the Charter, consolidate one or more departments together under a single department head, and assign the oversight of transferred functions to a different commission. The Mayor could not reorganize the functions assigned to the following departments: the City Administrator, Controller, Board of Appeals, Port, Airport, Asian Art Museum, Fine Art Museums, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, Public Utilities Commission, Civil Service Commission, Department of Human Resources, Retirement Board, Health Service System, Department of Elections, Ethics Commission, or departments headed by other elected officials. The duties of the Department of Police Accountability could not be transferred to the Police Department, nor could the duties of the Sheriff’s Inspector General be transferred to the Sheriff.

The proposed measure would allow the Mayor to hire deputy mayors. It would expand the Mayor’s authority to hire certain department heads without board or commission involvement, and would authorize the Mayor to fire most department heads without board or commission involvement.

The proposed measure would authorize appointing authorities to remove their appointees to most boards and commissions without cause. The following boards and commissions would not be impacted by this change: Board of Appeals, Civil Service Commission, and Ethics Commission.

Source: Proposition F: Title and Summary

City and County of San Francisco Office of Elections

Pro:

Con:

Background

Proposal

2026 Propositions

2026 Local Ballot Measures

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