Yes on Proposition L
Reauthorize existing tax for transportation improvements
What is it?
Proposition L is a Board of Supervisors initiative ordinance which will continue an existing sales tax that funds Muni and other transit projects, maintenance, paratransit services, among others.
Fiscal impacts
Because this is continuing an existing tax, there will be no impact on the cost of government. This tax generates around $100 million in tax revenue per year.
Why is this on the ballot?
Prop 13 mandates that all new taxes be subjected to a vote of the public. Taxes that are reserved for a specific purpose, rather than the General Fund require a 66 2/3% supermajority.
Note: Even though this is a continuation of an existing tax, it technically counts as a new tax under the law, which is why the Prop 13 requirement to vote on it and obtain a supermajority applies.
- Sponsor: Supervisor Rafael Mandelman
- Co-Sponsors: Supervisors Shamann Walton, Aaron Peskin, Hillary Ronen, Myrna Melgar, Catherine Stefani, Dean Preston, Gordon Mar, Ahsha Safaí, and Matt Dorsey
- Placed on ballot by: Unanimously by all Supervisors
Why vote Yes?
A world-class city deserves world-class public transit. And world-class transit needs to be funded well enough to do necessary maintenance, invest in long-term projects, and improve the level of existing service.
We're sympathetic to the argument that Muni should be doing better with the budget it has, but since Prop L is just a renewal of an existing revenue stream, voting No on Prop L would mean you expect Muni to do more with less.
Maintaining Muni's budget may not magically improve Muni's reliability or cleanliness, but shrinking the budget is sure to have much worse results.