Julie Pitta

New poll from UC Berkeley shows 64-28 support for California billionaire tax (via email).

San Francisco needs a reset. Our city charter is one of the longest in the country. It is bloated. It is broken. And it only works for the people who know how to manipulate it—not everyday San Franciscans. Today, I’m proposing reforms to clean up our city charter and make the government, and me, more accountable to you. Here is the breakdown. First: we are going to fix the city’s broken contracting system to make sure that your tax dollars are being spent efficiently and transparently. By bringing contracting under one entity, the City Administrator, we can set consistent citywide standards that will cut red tape, reduce delays, and save taxpayer dollars. Second: we are going to make our ballots shorter and simpler. That long voter packet that you received in 2024 had 15 ballot measures on it. In the same election, Oakland had 3. San Jose had 1. San Francisco makes it so easy to put things on the ballot that our elected officials don’t have to do their jobs. The result? San Franciscans have to fill out lengthy, confusing ballots, including contradictory measures and sometimes poorly written laws. This will ensure that ballot measures reflect real citywide priorities—and that elected officials focus on the job voters sent them here to do: delivering results for the people of San Francisco. Third: accountability. San Franciscans expect our city to deliver world-class services. To do that, we need to be able to hold those in leadership accountable. But right now, our charter rewards bureaucracy and scatters responsibility—protecting those in power, even if they have demonstrated serious ethical lapses. These reforms would change that to ensure that when San Franciscans elect a mayor, they know who is responsible for delivering results. San Franciscans elect people to run their government, and those leaders should be accountable for whether it works. If it doesn’t, you should know exactly who to hold responsible—that’s the point of elections. This package of reforms is about results. It’s about accountability. It’s about making City Hall work for San Francisco.