SF voters decide on taxing certain properties that go vacant for more than 6 months, among other measures

SAN FRANCISCO - Voters in San Francisco are deciding on five measures during Tuesday's election, including whether to allow certain employees of the restructured San Francisco Housing Authority to regain their retirement medical benefits if they find another city job.

Back in March 2019, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development mandated that the city assume responsibility of the city's Housing Authority because it had defaulted on several agreements and obligations.

Under the new arrangement, the city announced it would be managing the agency and contract third-party experts to administer the housing voucher and public housing programs for the city's 14,000 residents who rely on them.

As a result, dozens of employees received layoff notices, but through a deal with the mayor's office, the workers were either transitioned into other city jobs, or given severance packages.

Proposition C on the ballot would ask voters whether to amend the City Charter to continue providing former Housing Authority employees rehired by the city between March 7, 2019 and March 1, 2021, retiree healthcare coverage, based on their combined years of service and date of hire. The measure needs a simple majority to pass.

In addition to Prop C, voters will also decide on four other measures. Proposition A will ask voters whether to allow the City College of San Francisco District to sell $845 million in bonds to renovate the school's buildings, including seismic retrofitting and environmentally sustainable upgrades. The measure needs 55 percent of the vote to pass.

Proposition B asks voters to allow the city to sell $628.5 million in bonds to finance infrastructure improvements at the city's fire and police stations, as well as other disaster response facilities, like the city's 911 call center. The money would also be used to expand the city's emergency firefighting water system. The measure needs two-thirds of the vote in order to pass.

Proposition D would allow the city to tax property owners in certain commercial districts who allow their ground-floor spaces to go vacant for more than 182 days. The tax would start at $250 per linear foot of the space the first year, and then double each year after that. Prop D needs two-thirds of the vote in order to pass.

Proposition E asks voters whether the city should restrict large office projects, if the city fails to meet state mandated affordable housing goals. A 1986 proposition approved by voters limits new office developments annually, but Prop E would bring the number of large projects even lower, to the same percentage as the housing shortfall. The measure needs a simple majority to pass.