November 2008 San Francisco general election

The November 2008 San Francisco general elections were held on November 4, 2008 in San Francisco, California. The elections included seven seats to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, one seat to the San Francisco County Superior Court, and twenty-two San Francisco ballot measures.

Board of Supervisors

Superior Court

San Francisco County Superior Court Seat 12 election
Candidate	Votes	%
Gerardo Sandoval	156,227	53.50
Thomas Mellon (incumbent)	134,339	46.00
Write-in	1,449	0.50
Invalid or blank votes	96,097	24.76%
Total votes	388,112	100.00
Voter turnout	81.25%

Propositions

Propositions: A • B • C • D • E • F • G • H • I • J • K • L • M • N • O • P • Q • R • S • T • U • V

Note: "City" refers to the San Francisco municipal government.

Proposition A

Proposition A would authorize the City to issue $887.4 million in bonds to rebuild and improve San Francisco General Hospital. This proposition required a two-thirds majority to pass.

Proposition A
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	300,595	83.81
No	58,049	16.19
Required majority	66.67
Invalid or blank votes	22,851	5.89
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition B

Proposition B would establish an Affordable Housing Fund to acquire new affordable housing, funded by setting aside a portion of property taxes.

Proposition B
Choice	Votes	%
No	181,534	52.19
Yes	166,299	47.81
Invalid or blank votes	33,662	8.67
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition C

Proposition C would prohibit City employees from serving on most Charter-created boards and commissions.

Proposition C
Choice	Votes	%
No	202,419	61.94
Yes	124,395	38.06
Invalid or blank votes	54,681	14.09
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition D

Proposition D would allocate funds from new hotel and payroll expense tax revenues toward developing Pier 70, on the Central Waterfront, if a financial and land use plan is approved by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

Proposition D
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	226,513	68.07
No	106,228	31.93
Invalid or blank votes	48,754	12.56
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition E

Proposition E would change the number of signatures needed to recall city officials from a fixed 10% of registered voters to a scale of from 10% to 15% based on population.

Proposition E
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	195,605	60.10
No	129,862	39.90
Invalid or blank votes	56,028	14.43
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition F

Proposition F would shift City elections of some citywide offices from odd-numbered years to even-numbered years after November 2011.

Proposition F
Choice	Votes	%
No	176,692	55.00
Yes	144,592	45.00
Invalid or blank votes	60,211	15.51
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition G

Proposition G would "allow City employees to purchase retirement system credit for unpaid parental leave taken before July 1, 2003, as long as the purchase price covers all city costs."

Proposition G
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	202,011	62.47
No	121,354	37.53
Invalid or blank votes	58,130	14.98
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition H

Proposition H would establish public power in San Francisco, allowing the City to purchase public utilities, establishing deadlines on alternative energy use, allowing the City Public Utilities Commission to set rates, and allowing the Board of Supervisors to issue public utility bonds without voter approval.

Proposition H
Choice	Votes	%
No	211,681	61.38
Yes	133,214	38.62
Invalid or blank votes	36,600	9.43
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition I

Proposition I would create the Office of Independent Ratepayer Advocate to recommend public utility rates to the City Public Utilities Commission.

Proposition I
Choice	Votes	%
No	201,811	63.29
Yes	117,050	36.71
Invalid or blank votes	62,634	16.14
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition J

Proposition J would create a Historic Preservation Commission and allow it to make decisions regarding historic preservation in the City.

Proposition J
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	183,372	55.64
No	146,194	44.36
Invalid or blank votes	51,929	13.38
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition K

Proposition K would decriminalize prostitution, enforce laws against crimes on sex workers, and disclose all investigations and prosecutions of violent crimes against sex workers.

Proposition K
Choice	Votes	%
No	202,235	59.06
Yes	140,185	40.94
Invalid or blank votes	39,075	10.07
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition L

Proposition L would ensure first-year funding, furnish leased space, and define the scope and operations of the Community Justice Center.

Proposition L
Choice	Votes	%
No	178,440	57.46
Yes	132,097	42.54
Invalid or blank votes	70,958	18.28
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition M

Proposition M would prohibit landlords from engaging in specific acts of tenant harassment and allow such enforcement by court orders, rent reduction, monetary awards, and criminal penalties.

Proposition M
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	195,023	58.84
No	136,416	41.16
Invalid or blank votes	50,056	12.90
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition N

Proposition N would increase the transfer tax on properties worth $5 million or up to 1.5% and reduce the tax on residences that install solar energy systems or make seismic upgrades.

Proposition N
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	223,808	68.56
No	102,621	31.44
Invalid or blank votes	55,066	14.19
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition O

Proposition O would replace the Emergency Response Fee with a functionally equivalent Access Line Tax and revise the Telephone Users Tax.

Proposition O
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	208,044	66.74
No	103,679	33.26
Invalid or blank votes	69,772	17.98
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition P

Proposition P would change the size and composition of the San Francisco Transportation Authority Board from the entire Board of Supervisors to one consisting of the Mayor, the President of the Board of Supervisors, an elected City official selected by the Mayor, an elected City official selected by the President of the Board of Supervisors, and the Treasurer, and encourage the Authority to obtain expert financial review of its budgets and adopt City ethics and public records laws.

Proposition P
Choice	Votes	%
No	205,665	67.01
Yes	101,230	32.99
Invalid or blank votes	74,600	19.22
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition Q

Proposition Q would include more partnerships and businesses to be subject under the payroll expense tax and expand the tax exemption to businesses that have annual payroll expenses of $250,000 or less.

Proposition Q
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	233,411	74.20
No	81,178	25.80
Invalid or blank votes	66,906	17.24
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition R

Proposition R would rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant to the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.

Proposition R
Choice	Votes	%
No	233,733	69.75
Yes	101,376	30.25
Invalid or blank votes	46,386	11.95
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition S

Proposition S would make it City policy that voters will not approve new set-asides of City revenue that do not identify a new funding source, limit annual increases, and expire in ten years.

Proposition S
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	167,974	55.66
No	133,817	44.34
Invalid or blank votes	79,704	20.54
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition T

Proposition T would mandate the City to maintain funding for and provide enough free and low-cost substance abuse treatment services to meet demand.

Proposition T
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	200,649	61.24
No	127,014	38.76
Invalid or blank votes	53,832	13.87
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition U

Proposition U would make it City policy that representatives and senators in the United States Congress vote against further funding for deploying troops to Iraq, except for funds to withdraw such troops.

Proposition U
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	193,407	59.25
No	133,002	40.75
Invalid or blank votes	55,086	14.19
Total votes	388,112	100.00

Proposition V

Proposition V would make it City policy to urge the San Francisco Board of Education to reverse its elimination of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC).

Proposition V
Choice	Votes	%
Yes	179,639	54.63
No	149,169	45.37
Invalid or blank votes	52,687	13.58
Total votes	388,112	100.00

External links

San Francisco Department of Elections