VOTER GUIDE

YES ON PROP F

Library Preservation Fund Renewal

Proposition F would renew funding of the Library Preservation Fund for another 25 years—it does not raise taxes. The San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) is customer service-focused, well-run, and community-centered. It has been responsive to the evolving needs of residents and played an integral role in providing education during the pandemic. It deserves to be consistently well-funded, so we support Prop F.

The Context

In 1994, the nonprofit Friends of SFPL created the Library Preservation Fund to help address a severe lack of funding for SFPL’s 27 branches. Before the fund was established, the library faced years of budget cuts, low book budgets, and reduced hours of operation. The fund was renewed in 2007 until June 30, 2023. This current renewal would authorize the fund for an additional 25 years, or until June 2048.

Renewing the fund will allow for the $29.4 million renovation of the Chinatown Branch Library, which is currently underway, to continue. It also allocates $25 million to renovate the Mission Branch Library, adding more public restrooms, increasing flexibility in the space, and maintaining their multilingual collection and services.

Thanks to the money allocated to the SFPL since 1994, our library system is highly rated nationally and responsive to the evolving needs of residents with innovative programming. During the pandemic, they created new virtual programming and ways to check out books through the Browse and Bounce program. And while schools were shut down during the 2020-2021 school year, the SFPL was an integral part of the City’s Community Hubs and provided care and education to over 3,000 students at 78 locations.

The Money

This is a set-aside, meaning that a specific percentage of City funds—in this case, less than two percent, plus a small property tax—is set aside for the library every year. The Library Preservation Fund is SFPL’s largest budget source, comprising 95 percent of its FY22 budget of $171.2 million.

This measure does not raise taxes—it continues an existing parcel tax that was created to fund libraries in the city.

Additional Details

Prop F also increases the number of hours the library is open by 16 percent.

Support & Opposition

In both 1994 and 2007, this initiative passed with over 70 percent of the vote. Both the Mayor and the Board of Supervisors have voiced their support for the renewal.

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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