San Francisco’s Prop C is an incredibly small and specific ballot measure, but it’ll likely mean a lot to the handful of people it affects.
It has to do with providing retirement health care benefits to about a hundred San Francisco Housing Authority employees.
Here’s the back story:
San Francisco Housing Authority is the federally funded agency that provides rental assistance like Section 8 vouchers to city residents.
It was mismanaged for years. Last year, the feds ordered that the city take it over and get into shape.
So now a small group of employees from the Housing Authority finds themselves with a new boss: the city.
But they’re also faced with the potential of losing all the retirement health care benefits they accrued working for their former employer.
So Prop C would allow these newly minted city employees to credit their years of working for the Housing Authority toward their new job at the City. If Prop C passes, when they retire, they’ll be able to cash in on the years working for the Housing Authority in addition to their time with the city.
This technically requires an amendment to the city charter, which can only be done by vote, so the Board of Supervisors put this proposition on the ballot. It’s supported by all the board of supes, the mayor, and San Francisco Chronicle.
No one is officially opposing it as of yet.
How does this affect the average San Franciscan? It won’t, really. The city controller has said it will have minimal impact on the cost of government. We’re talking at most 130 people, each one costing the government about $80,000 in retiree benefits.
So to recap:
A yes vote would provide retirement health care benefits for the handful of former Housing Authority employees that now work for the city.
A no vote means they won’t get their retirement benefits.
