VOTER GUIDE
YES ON PROP B
Change to Street Sanitation Oversight
Proposition B walks back a decision by voters in 2020 to split the Department of Public Works (DPW) into two departments as a response to a highly-publicized corruption scandal within DPW. The 2020 decision created two departments, each with their own commission to oversee them. 2022’s Prop B will eliminate one of the departments, the Department of Sanitation and Streets, but keeps the commission that would have overseen it to provide extra oversight for DPW. While we aren’t a fan of commissions (there are far too many of them), we’re even less interested in duplicate departments. We support this measure, which will prevent the City from spending millions of dollars (and thousands of employee hours) on creating a redundant department.
The Context
Rattled by the DPW corruption scandal and looking to strengthen his relationship with labor unions, then-Supervisor Matt Haney introduced the idea of splitting up DPW to voters in 2020. Seven supervisors approved of sending this measure to the ballot, where it passed with almost 62 percent of the vote.
This is another unfortunate example of our local elected officials putting a half-baked measure before voters for their own political gain. A series of 60 meetings about the logistics of the split culminated in a spring 2022 hearing during which City staff flatly said the breakup would cost millions and wouldn’t even result in cleaner streets.
The Money
During the May 2022 hearing, City staff reported that the breakup would cost $7.2 million for the first year, and nearly $6 million every subsequent year in duplicative management costs. The new department would have a separate operating budget of $158.2 million in the first year alone.
Support & Opposition
Supervisor Aaron Peskin said publicly that he has “buyer’s remorse” over having voted in favor of putting the measure to split DPW in two before voters.
Paid for by TogetherSF Action. Not authorized by any candidate or a committee controlled by a candidate. Financial disclosures are available at sfethics.org.
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