Stronger Muni for All needed 10,000 signatures to make it on the November ballot. Today, supporters dropped off more than 18,000 signatures to be verified at City Hall.
The initiative would require property owners to pay a parcel tax. That’s a tax based on the size and usage of a property. So single family homeowners, apartment owners, and commercial properties would pay different rates. This revenue would make up for the deficit that has led Muni to cut bus lines.
Kat Siegal, a public transit advocate and advisor for the SF County Transit Authority, said most voters she talks to can’t imagine a San Francisco with less Muni. "The reality is that losing affordable public transit is also a cost of living issue," she added.
Toni Delorio is the principal officer of Teamsters 665, which represents delivery drivers in the city. "I think everybody understands that the mayor's vision to bring San Francisco back, that does not happen if we don't have a form of public transportation like Muni," he said.
If the initiative doesn’t pass, Muni could cut more bus lines, discontinue the cable cars, and eliminate discounted fares for seniors, disabled and low-income residents, and youth.
