The government of the City and County of San Francisco utilizes the "strong mayor" form of mayoral/council government, composed of the Mayor, Board of Supervisors, several elected officers, and numerous other entities. It is the only consolidated city-county in California, and one of only thirteen charter counties of California.[1] The fiscal year 2017–18 city and county budget was approximately $10 billion[2].

Organization edit

San Francisco utilizes the "strong mayor" form of mayoral/council government, composed of the mayor, Board of Supervisors, several elected officers, and numerous other entities. San Francisco voters use ranked-choice voting to elect the mayor, supervisors, and other elective officers.[3]

Current Mayor edit

 
Ed Lee Mayor

The Mayor of San Francisco is the head of the executive branch of the city and county government. The mayor has the responsibility to enforce all city laws, administer and coordinate city departments and intergovernmental activities, set forth policies and agendas to the Board of Supervisors, and prepare and submit the city budget at the end of each fiscal year. The mayor has the powers to either approve or veto bills passed by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, participate in meetings of the Board of Supervisors and its committees, appoint a replacement to fill vacancies in all city elected offices until elections, appoint a member of the Board as acting mayor in his/her absence, and to direct personnels in the case of emergency.[4] The mayor serves a four-year term and is limited to two successive terms.[4] If the mayor dies or resigns, the President of the Board of Supervisors assumes the office, as Dianne Feinstein did after the assassination of George Moscone in 1978.

Mayors of San Francisco [5] edit

Board of Supervisors edit

The legislative body is composed of the 11-member Board of Supervisors which acts as both a board of supervisors and a city council, with "[a]ll rights and powers of a City and County which are not vested in another officer or entity" by the charter.[6] The Board of Supervisors is headed by a president and is responsible for passing laws and budgets. The members of the Board of Supervisors are elected as representatives of specific districts within the city.[7]

Other elected officers edit

In addition, there are other citywide elected officers of San Francisco:[8]

Departments and agencies edit

Entities under the authority of the Board of Supervisors include the:[9][10]

Entities under the authority of the San Francisco County Superior Court include the:[9]

  • Adult Probation

Entities under the authority of the City Administrator include the:[9]

Independent and semi-independent entities include the:[9]

  • Board of Appeals
  • Building Inspection Commission
    • Department of Building Inspection
  • Child Support Services
  • Controller
  • Elections Commission
    • Department of Elections
  • Entertainment Commission
  • San Francisco Ethics Commission
  • Health Service System
  • Planning Commission
    • Planning Department
  • San Francisco Police Commission
  • Small Business Commission
    • Office of Small Business
  • Redevelopment Agency
  • Treasure Island Development Authority
  • Other entities and programs include:[citation needed]

    • 311 Customer Service Center

    A

    • Access Appeals Commission
    • Animal Control and Welfare Commission
    • Asthma Task Force

    B

    • Back Streets Business Advisory Board
    • Ballot Simplification Committee
    • Bicycle Advisory Committee
    • Biosciences Task Force
    • Board of Supervisors
    • Budget Analyst's Office
    • Building Inspection SRO Task Force, Department of

    C

    • Citizens' General Obligation Bond Oversight Committee
    • City Administrator, Office of
    • City Attorney
    • City College of San Francisco
    • City Hall Preservation Advisory Commission
    • Civic Engagement & Immigrant Affairs, Office of
    • Civil Grand Jury
    • Code Advisory Commission
    • Committee On Information Technology

    D

    E

    • Examiners, Board of

    F

    • Film Commission

    G

    H

    • Historic Preservation Commission
    • Housing Authority

    I

    • Immigrant Rights Commission

    J

    • Jury Commissioner (Jury Duty)

    K

    L

    • Labor Standards Enforcement, Office of
    • Library Citizens Advisory Committee
    • Local Homeless Coordinating Board

    M

    • Marijuana Offenses Oversight Committee
    • Medical Cannabis Task Force

    N

    • Non-Profit Contracting Task Force

    O

    P

    • Power Plant Task Force
    • Presidio Neighborhood Representative Work Group
    • Presidio & CCSF Transportation Work Group
    • Public Finance, Office of

    Q

    R

    • Real Estate Fraud Prosecution Trust Fund Committee
    • Redistricting Task Force
    • Relocation Appeals Board

    S

    • San Francisco Fair Lending Working Group
    • School District, San Francisco Unified
    • SFGovTV - Cable TV (Government Access)
    • Shelter Monitoring Committee
    • Southeast Community Facility Commission
    • State Legislation Committee

    T

    U

    • Unreinforced Masonry Appeals Board
    • Utility Undergrounding Task Force

    V

    • Veterans' Affairs Commission
    • Voting Systems Task Force

    W

    • Western SoMa Citizens Planning Task Force

    X

    Y

    Z

    Finance edit

    Taxes edit

    As of November 2010, San Francisco's sales tax rate was 9.5%,[13] distributed as follows:

    Budget edit

    The fiscal year 2007-08 city and county budget is as follows:[18]

    Category Revenue Ratio
    Charges for services $1,808 M 29.7%
    Property taxes $1,186 M 19.5%
    State $707 M 11.6%
    Other local taxes $588 M 9.7%
    Federal $360 M 5.9%
    Business taxes $350 M 5.8%
    Rents and concessions $349 M 5.7%
    Fund balance from 2006–07 $239 M 3.9%
    Fines and forfeitures $105 M 1.7%
    Interest and investment income $84 M 1.4%
    Licenses, permits, and franchises $36 M 0.6%
    Reserves drawdown $23 M 0.4%
    Other $244 M 4.0%
    Total $6,079 M 100%
    Category Expenditures Ratio
    Personnel $3.083 B 50.4%
    Non-personnel operating costs $1.438 B 23.7%
    Debt service $576 M 9.5%
    Capital and equipment $335 M 5.5%
    Grants $272 M 4.5%
    Aid assistance $271 M 4.5%
    Reserves and fund balance $69 M 1.1%
    Facility maintenance $35 M 0.6%
    Total $6,079 M 100%
    Category Personnel Ratio
    Public Works, Transportation, and Commerce 8,798 31.5%
    Public Protection 6,566 23.5%
    Public Health 6,196 22.2%
    General Administration and Finance 2,317 8.3%
    Human Welfare and Neighborhood Development 2,125 7.6%
    Culture and Recreation 1,883 6.8%
    Total 27,885 100%

    Law edit

    The government of the City and County of San Francisco is defined by the Charter of the City and County of San Francisco, which is similar to the other counties of California. Pursuant to its charter, San Francisco causes to be published several codified version of its ordinances and regulations, the San Francisco Municipal Codes. Every act prohibited or declared unlawful, and every failure to perform an act required, by the ordinances are misdemeanor crimes, unless otherwise specified as infractions.[19][20]

    San Franciscans also make use of direct ballot initiatives to pass legislation.

    San Francisco's municipal authority extends beyond city/county limits through its operation of the San Francisco International Airport and the vast tracts of land supporting the Hetch Hetchy Water System.

    Health Commission edit

    The Department of Public Health works through two Divisions of the government - the San Francisco Health Network and Population Health and Prevention. The San Francisco Health Networks includes the health system with locations at multiple hospitals and primary care centers. The Population Health and Prevention Division focuses on the communities in SF and consists of three branches - Community Health and Safety Branch, Community Health Promotion and Prevention Branch, and the Community Health Services Branch. [21]

    San Francisco plague of 1900 - 1904 edit

    In the 1890’s San Francisco received heavy ship traffic from Asian cities that were currently dealing with the bubonic plague. In 1989 a ship from Hong Kong was found to have two cases of bubonic plague on board, the bodies washed up on the bay later, but no immediate outbreak occurred at this initial finding. In 1900 a city health officer autopsied a Chinese man and found evidence of the plague. With Anti-Chinese feelings already running rampant throughout the city the Department of Public Health quickly moved to quarantine Chinatown. Initially the quarantine was protested, not to protect the Chinese, but because of fear and doubt that the plague was indeed in the city. Mayor at the time, James D. Phelan, had created the board of health which included multiple doctors on the board, he demanded that the board of health have 100 physicians search the 12 block area that made up Chinatown for more cases of the plague. When more victims were found the city Board of Health announced the plague and the Chinatown quarantine was again set into place. [22] [23]

    Health officials shut down Chinese-owned businesses and any Chinese attempting to leave the city had to go through inoculation first with an experimental drug, this led to the court case between Mr. Wong Wai and the Department of Public Health. Mr. Wai won the court case and the Department of Public Health was ordered to stop the inoculations but city officials got the support from the board of supervisors to continue. [24] Health authorities also attempted to set up a detention camp for those of Asian descent on Mission Rock in the Bay but the idea was protested and shot down, partially due to fear about opening admitting the plague in San Francisco.  [23]

    Fear of the plague and prejudice against the Chinese was so high that many City officials debated burning down Chinatown. The idea was talked about with popularity, especially since this had been done in Honolulu. To prevent their homes from being burnt down and to get the quarantine broken the Chinese banded together the Chinese Six Companies, multiple attorneys, and China’s minister (diplomat). Together, they were ultimately able to get the quarantine lifted again, this was again in part due to the government’s fear of publicly confirming plague. [24]

    Health authorities from twenty-one states eventually passes a resolution about California’s neglect of duties to take care of the plague in San Francisco and threatened to close all trade with California. This caused San Francisco businessmen to take action and brought together the Chamber of Commerce, Board of Trade, Merchants’ Association, and other civil rights groups in the city to clear San Francisco of plague. The city was purged of plague due to the efforts of these groups along with the Marine Hospital Service,health officials of San Francisco and new governor, George C. Pardee.  [23]

    Other governments edit

    In addition, several regional governmental units in San Francisco operate independently of the municipal government. Five regional agencies—the Association of Bay Area Governments, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, Bay Area Air Quality Management District, San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, and Bay Conservation and Development Commission—have jurisdiction over San Francisco and the other Bay Area counties, and San Francisco appoints representatives to their governing boards.

    There are several school districts that are co-extensive with San Francisco. The San Francisco Unified School District is governed by the elected seven-member San Francisco Board of Education. The community college district of the City College of San Francisco is governed by an elected seven-member Board of Trustees.

    Several transit agencies provide transit service within San Francisco and adjacent counties, including the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), of which residents elect Board of Directors for districts 7, 8, and 9, Golden Gate Transit, Caltrain, the San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. Also notable are the independent police forces of the University of California, San Francisco and the Park Police of the Presidio Trust and the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

    The San Francisco Democratic Central Committee (SFDCC), the governing body of the San Francisco Democratic Party, is a county central committee of the California Democratic Party for San Francisco. The SFDCC is elected from the two Assembly districts in San Francisco and consists of 24 members, with a 14/10 member split between the two Assembly districts based on number of registered Democrats.[25][26]

    See also edit

    References edit

    1. ^ Baldassare, Mark (1998). When Government Fails: The Orange County Bankruptcy. Public Policy Institute of California/University of California Press. p. 50. ISBN 0-520-21486-2. LCCN 97032806.
    2. ^ "Budget Documents | Office of the Mayor". sfmayor.org. Retrieved 2017-08-31.
    3. ^ "Ranked-Choice Voting". City and County of San Francisco, Department of Elections. Archived from the original on August 20, 2009. Retrieved August 8, 2009.
    4. ^ a b City and County of San Francisco Municipal Code art. III[dead link]
    5. ^ "Edwin M. Lee". Ranker. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
    6. ^ Charter of the City and County of San Francisco, article 1, section 1.101
    7. ^ "Board of Supervisors District Information". City and County of San Francisco, Board of Supervisors. Archived from the original on July 14, 2007. Retrieved January 29, 2006.
    8. ^ Charter of the City and County of San Francisco, article 6, section 6.100
    9. ^ a b c d "City's Organizational Chart". Retrieved 20 May 2014.
    10. ^ "Board of Supervisors: Divisions". Retrieved 20 May 2014.
    11. ^ "Clerk of the Board". Retrieved 20 May 2014.
    12. ^ "Office of the Legislative Analyst". Retrieved 20 May 2014.
    13. ^ http://www.boe.ca.gov/news/sp111500att.htm
    14. ^ Detailed Description of the Sales and Use Tax Rate - Board of Equalization
    15. ^ a b http://www.bayrailalliance.org/local_transportation_funding_sources
    16. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2008-11-14. Retrieved 2008-12-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    17. ^ http://www.sfgov.org/site/bdsupvrs_page.asp?id=25985#P265_9769
    18. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-11-14. Retrieved 2008-12-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    19. ^ California Government Code § 25132.
    20. ^ California Government Code § 36900 et seq.
    21. ^ "Doing Business with the Department of Public Health". www.sfdph.org. Retrieved 2017-11-22.
    22. ^ "A Science Odyssey: People and Discoveries: Bubonic plague hits San Francisco". www.pbs.org. Retrieved 2017-12-08.
    23. ^ a b c Kalisch, Philip A. (1972). "The Black Death in Chinatown: Plague and Politics in San Francisco 1900-1904". Journal of the Southwest. 14 (2): 113–136. JSTOR 40168068. PMID 11614219.
    24. ^ a b Chang, Iris (2003). The Chinese In America. United States of America: Penguin Group. pp. 139–140. ISBN 0-670-03123-2.
    25. ^ California Elections Code § 7204
    26. ^ San Francisco Democratic County Central Committee Bylaws[permanent dead link], 23 January 2013, Article 2, § 1(a)(1)

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    Article to Improve

    When reading the article, Art of the AIDS crisis, I immediately noticed typos that needed to be corrected. I plan on proof reading the page and changing all the errors that I find. I also know that I would like to add more to the artist from this time, either enlarging the current artist section or making a new one dedicated to the major artists of this time and how their work was influential. I would also like to add more background on the AIDS pandemic and why so many people turned to art as a way to express themselves.

    Johnson, Steve. “AIDS Art Gets Its First Major Survery.” Chicagotribune.com, 7 Dec. 2016, www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/ct-art-aids-america-exhibit-ent-1208-20161207-story.html.

    Katz, Hushka, Arning, Castiglia, Reed, Helfand, . . . Tacoma Art Museum, host institution. (2015). Art AIDS America.

    Nicole Disser. “Controversial Retrospective Of American Art From The AIDS Crisis Lands In The Bronx.” Gothamist, Arts & Entertainment, 19 July 2016,

    gothamist.com/2016/07/19/art_aids_america_review.php#photo-1.

    Studio, familiar-studio.com Familiar. “Visual AIDS.” Visual AIDS, www.visualaids.org/.

    www.haring.com/!about-haring#.WeqqOBNSxPM.

    Article Evaluation

    I chose to evaluate the article Morgellons. I thought this article remained on topic but that there was a slight bias in the article, particularly in the first paragraph where it presents some information as fact, when it is not. I also noticed while reading this article that the CDC investigation section seemed lacking. I wish there had been more information on this and that they have given the results of the CDC investigation rather than just say they were released.

    The citation the article cites many news sources such as CNN, ABC, and newspapers such as the Chicago Tribune. I noticed some of these sources did not have a reliable link, and I could not find the original source. One of the sources I looked at from ABC news supported the article and was able to present the information in a neutral way, it presented interviews from both doctors and those with the condition. This article also uses sources from medical journals as well as the CDC. Overall, I found the sources to be of good quality and properly cited within the article.

    The Talk about this article states that it is a controversial issue. The issue of bias is also discussed in the Talk section, and how to avoid this. The article related to three WikiProjects about skepticism, medicine, and alternative medicine.