San Francisco's Proposition B would change the name of the Department of Aging and Adult Services to the Department of Disability and Aging Services.
The agency's current name might imply it only serves seniors. But the department coordinates resources for veterans and people with disabilities, too.
Proposition B would also add qualifications for the seven people who oversee the department. Right now, they can be anyone—as long as they're registered San Francisco voters. Proposition B would require one member to be a person with a disability, another to be a veteran, and a third to be at least 60 years old.
Last year, the Department of Aging and Adult Services found that about a quarter of San Francisco seniors use its services, but only about 10 percent of residents with disabilities do. The agency says Proposition B would help, by changing its name to include both seniors and people of all ages with disabilities.
It might seem like a pretty small change to need a whole ballot measure. But the City Attorney's Office says that's the only way to legally change the department's name.
Supporters of Proposition B include the entire Board of Supervisors, Mayor London Breed, and a number of community groups, like the San Francisco Human Services Network.
No one has publicly opposed the measure.
The San Francisco Controller's Office has said that the changes would have minimal impact on the city's budget.
So, if you want the Department of Aging and Adult Services to include the word "Disability" in its name, and to require that three of its supervisors reflect the communities they serve, vote YES on Prop B. If you don’t want to make those changes, vote NO.
