November 2008 San Francisco general election

Last updated

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. [1]

Contents

Board of Supervisors

Superior Court

SFNov2008SupCourtDistricts.svg
San Francisco County Superior Court Seat 12 election
CandidateVotes %
Gerardo Sandoval 156,22753.50
Thomas Mellon (incumbent)134,33946.00
Write-in 1,4490.50
Invalid or blank votes96,09724.76%
Total votes388,112 100.00
Voter turnout81.25%

Propositions

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

Proposition A

SFFeb2008PropA.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes300,59583.81
No58,04916.19
Required majority66.67
Invalid or blank votes22,8515.89
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition B

SFNov2008PropB.svg

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

Proposition B
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No181,53452.19
Yes166,29947.81
Invalid or blank votes33,6628.67
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition C

SFNov2008PropC.svg

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

Proposition C
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No202,41961.94
Yes124,39538.06
Invalid or blank votes54,68114.09
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition D

SFNov2008PropD.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes226,51368.07
No106,22831.93
Invalid or blank votes48,75412.56
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition E

SFNov2008PropE.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes195,60560.10
No129,86239.90
Invalid or blank votes56,02814.43
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition F

SFNov2008PropF.svg

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

Proposition F
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No176,69255.00
Yes144,59245.00
Invalid or blank votes60,21115.51
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition G

SFJun2008PropG.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes202,01162.47
No121,35437.53
Invalid or blank votes58,13014.98
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition H

SFNov2008PropH.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No211,68161.38
Yes133,21438.62
Invalid or blank votes36,6009.43
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition I

SFNov2008PropI.svg

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

Proposition I
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No201,81163.29
Yes117,05036.71
Invalid or blank votes62,63416.14
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition J

SFNov2008PropJ.svg

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

Proposition J
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes183,37255.64
No146,19444.36
Invalid or blank votes51,92913.38
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition K

SFNov2008PropK.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No202,23559.06
Yes140,18540.94
Invalid or blank votes39,07510.07
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition L

SFNov2008PropL.svg

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

Proposition L
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No178,44057.46
Yes132,09742.54
Invalid or blank votes70,95818.28
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition M

SFNov2008PropM.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes195,02358.84
No136,41641.16
Invalid or blank votes50,05612.90
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition N

SFNov2008PropN.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes223,80868.56
No102,62131.44
Invalid or blank votes55,06614.19
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition O

SFNov2008PropO.svg

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

Proposition O
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes208,04466.74
No103,67933.26
Invalid or blank votes69,77217.98
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition P

SFNov2008PropP.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No205,66567.01
Yes101,23032.99
Invalid or blank votes74,60019.22
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition Q

SFNov2008PropQ.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes233,41174.20
No81,17825.80
Invalid or blank votes66,90617.24
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition R

SFNov2008PropR.svg

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

Proposition R
ChoiceVotes %
Light brown x.svg No233,73369.75
Yes101,37630.25
Invalid or blank votes46,38611.95
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition S

SFNov2008PropS.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes167,97455.66
No133,81744.34
Invalid or blank votes79,70420.54
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition T

SFNov2008PropT.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes200,64961.24
No127,01438.76
Invalid or blank votes53,83213.87
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition U

SFNov2008PropU.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes193,40759.25
No133,00240.75
Invalid or blank votes55,08614.19
Total votes388,112100.00

Proposition V

SFNov2008PropV.svg

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
ChoiceVotes %
Check-71-128-204-brightblue.svg Yes179,63954.63
No149,16945.37
Invalid or blank votes52,68713.58
Total votes388,112100.00

References

  1. "November 4, 2008 Final Election Results". SF Elections. Retrieved March 15, 2025.