What is it?

Prop E changes city contracting rules and the City Administrator's role in them. It would centralize procurement authority in the City Administrator, who is appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the Board of Supervisors.

Procurement rules control how the city buys goods and services, contracts for public works, and makes grants, but not union contracts, development agreements, or real estate.

Several of the changes are consolidations of existing law, but a few would shift how contracting decisions get made:

• The City Administrator would become the only official who can introduce most purchasing legislation. The Board could reject an ordinance within 60 days, but could not directly amend it, and could not override a Mayoral veto
• The Board of Supervisors will be less involved: Only revenue contracts and leases of $4.5M or more (up from $1M) and spending contracts of $25M or more (up from $10M) would need Board approval. (This will adjust for inflation starting in 2032)
• Purchasing at the MTA, PUC, Airport, Port, and the City's charitable trust departments would become subject to standards set by the City Administrator
• The City Administrator's term would go from five to ten years

Read the full annotated legal text →