San Francisco Supervisor Scott Wiener will introduce a charter amendment at today’s board meeting that would allow the board to amend or repeal certain voter-approved ordinances.
The legislation is aimed at reducing the number of ballot measures city voters have to consider in each election, according to Wiener.
Currently, all changes to an ordinance require additional approval by voters in a ballot measure.
“So often voters come up to me and ask why we have to vote on so many measures at the ballot box and why the board isn’t ‘doing its job,'” Wiener said in a statement.
“This amendment would put more responsibility on the board to do our job and act efficiently on behalf of the people of San Francisco,” he said.
The amendment would provide the board a limited ability to amend or repeal certain ordinances that have previously been approved by voters.
During the first three years of an ordinance’s existence, the board would be prohibited from amending or repealing it. In the next four years, the board would be able to amend or repeal the ordinance with a two-thirds majority, and after the seven-year period, only a simple majority would be needed.
For voter-approved ordinances, the board would never be able to repeal them entirely, and could only amend them, according to Wiener.
The legislation would also not apply to items like taxes and bonds, which state law requires be submitted for voter approval.
“This amendment is a first step to improving the agility with which our government functions,” Wiener said. “It will allow the Board of Supervisors to do its job.”
Wiener plans to introduce the proposal at today’s board meeting, scheduled for 2 p.m. at City Hall.
Dan McMenamin, Bay City News
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