San Francisco Proposition A — Charter Changes Affecting Various City Departments and Commissions

What it does

Shall the City amend the Charter to align it with how some City departments currently operate, change some processes, eliminate or reorganize certain commissions and advisory bodies, and require the Board of Supervisors to amend voter-approved laws to enact some of these changes?

A YES vote means

San Francisco's Charter would be changed to match how some departments now operate, change some processes, eliminate or reorganize certain commissions and advisory bodies, and require the Board of Supervisors to amend voter-approved laws for some changes.

A NO vote means

San Francisco's Charter rules for these departments, commissions and advisory bodies would stay as they are.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Only on your ballot if you live in the City and County of San Francisco.

Background

According to the Ballot Simplification Council's digest, the Charter and other voter-approved laws create many City commissions and advisory bodies, some of these laws have become obsolete, and most can only be changed with voter approval.

Proposition A would align the Charter with how some departments currently operate, change some processes (for example, allowing legal settlements to be approved by resolution instead of ordinance), require a task force to meet every ten years to recommend changes to commissions, and eliminate or reorganize certain commissions and advisory bodies.

City Controller Greg Wagner's statement estimates savings of $365,000 to $450,000 annually, largely from eliminating the Sanitation and Streets Commission, the Public Works Commission, and the Street Artists and Craftsmen Examiners Advisory Committee.

The Board of Supervisors voted 9 to 2 on July 14, 2026 to place it on the ballot (No: Chan, Fielder).

Put on the ballot by San Francisco Board of Supervisors, 9–2, July 14, 2026.

From official source.

Next elections here

• 2028 presidential election · Who has filed so far, from FEC filings

Also on San Francisco County ballots

• San Francisco Proposition B — Establishing a Municipal Finance Corporation and a Public Bank
• San Francisco Proposition C — Contributions to the Housing Trust Fund
• San Francisco Proposition D — Changes to Ballot Measure Process
• San Francisco Proposition E — City Administrator’s Authority and Changes to City Contracting
• San Francisco Proposition F — Changes to Executive Branch Management
• San Francisco Proposition G — Allowing Private Vehicles on the Upper Great Highway in Sunset Dunes Park
• San Francisco Proposition H — Parcel Tax to Fund Muni Operations
• San Francisco Proposition I — Changes to Real Property Transfer Tax
• San Francisco Proposition J — Removal of Foreclosure Exemption for Real Property Transfer Tax

All San Francisco County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on San Francisco Proposition A mean?

San Francisco's Charter would be changed to match how some departments now operate, change some processes, eliminate or reorganize certain commissions and advisory bodies, and require the Board of Supervisors to amend voter-approved laws for some changes.

What does a NO vote on San Francisco Proposition A mean?

San Francisco's Charter rules for these departments, commissions and advisory bodies would stay as they are.

How many votes does San Francisco Proposition A need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on San Francisco Proposition A?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.