Proposition D would dramatically alter governance in San Francisco.
The measure would slash City Hall commissions from the current 130 to a maximum of 65, retaining 20 major commissions. The Board of Supervisors would have to decide which commissions to keep or consolidate by Spring 2026.
TogetherSF Action gathered signatures to get Prop D on the ballot. CEO Kanishka Cheng says the creation of so many commissions has made the city ungovernable:
“There supposed to provide oversight of the city departments, those departments that are supposed to be managed by the mayor are now managed by commissions that gave doubled in size since the 90s.”
Mayor London Breed’s staff helped Together SF Action write the charter reform, but pulled her support in August after the “Mayor Mark Farrell for Yes on Prop D” campaign committee raised over $2 million. Breed said, “The charter reform measure has become a vehicle to help Mark Farrell funnel unlimited amounts of contributions to his mayoral campaign.”
If Prop D passes, whoever becomes mayor would appoint the majority of commissioners, and gain full control over hiring and firing of department heads.
Board of Supervisors President and mayoral candidate Aaron Peskin fiercely opposes Prop D. He says it would “take an ax to city governance” and create a breeding ground for corruption. Peskin has sponsored Prop E, which would create a task force to study commission reform.
Supporters of Prop D say that measure is a “poison pill” to delay reform.
Prop D passes with a simple majority. If both D and E pass, the one with the most votes cancels the other.
This election brief was reported by San Francisco Public Press reporter Mel Baker, read the full analysis of Prop D here.