111,646 / 55.55% Yes votes ...... 89,351 / 44.45% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

The Charter does not require members of the Board of Supervisors to serve full-time. Each Supervisor receives an annual salary of $37,585.

The Proposal:

Proposition J is a Charter amendment that would require members of the Board of Supervisors to serve full-time. Proposition J would authorize the Civil Service Commission to set the salary for Supervisors. To determine the salary, the Civil Service Commission would consider salaries of similar elected officials in other cities and counties, and the consumer price index.

However, since members of the San Francisco Board are currently paid lower than other Bay Area County Board members and other major California City Council members, we would expect the Civil Service Commission would raise their pay resulting in additional cost to government.

The Board currently is paid $37,600 annually ($47,000 when you include fringe benefits). Members of the Board of Supervisors in six Bay Area counties and City Councils in four major California cities have average salaries that are approximately $88,000 ($118,000 when you include fringe benefits).

If the San Francisco Board was brought to the average level of these other bodies, it would increase the cost of government by approximately $777,000 per year, growing over time.

Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote of this measure means:

If you vote "Yes," you want members of the Board of Supervisors to serve full-time and the Civil Service Commission to set the salary for Supervisors.

A NO vote of this measure means:

If you vote "No," you do not want members of the Board of Supervisors to serve full-time and the Civil Service Commission to set the salary for Supervisors.

San Francisco Chronicle

• Supervisor pay raise in hands of voters - 10/7/02

How to Evaluate the Propositions

Decide for yourself

CHARTER AMENDMENT PROPOSITION J

Describing and setting forth a proposal to the qualified electors of the City and County of San Francisco to amend the Charter of said City and County by amending Section 2.100 to provide that the job of a member of the Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco is a full time position, and to provide that the Civil Service Commission shall set the Supervisors' salary once every five (5) years. The Civil Service Commission must consider salaries of other California City Councils and County Boards of Supervisors, and may also consider the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
The Board of Supervisors of the City and County of San Francisco hereby submits to the qualified electors of said City and County at an election to be held therein on November 5, 2002, a proposal to amend the Charter of said City and County by amending Section 2.100 to read as follows:

Note: Additions are single-underline italics Times New Roman. Deletions are strikethrough italics Times New Roman.

SECTION 2.100. COMPOSITION AND SALARY. The Board of Supervisors shall consist of eleven members elected by district. The office of Board of Supervisors member is a full time position. Members of the

Board shall be paid a salary of $37,585. The Civil Service Commission shall set the Supervisors' salary once every five years. Before the Commission determines the Supervisors' salary, it shall conduct and consider a salary survey of other full time California City Councils and County Boards of Supervisors and it may consider the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The Civil Service Commission shall timely transmit its determination of the Supervisors' salary to the Controller, so that funds can be set aside for that purpose. The Controller shall include the Civil Service Commission's determination in appropriate budget documents to insure implementation. This determination may not be changed except by the Civil Service Commission. The Civil Service Commission shall establish dates for an appropriate five-year cycle for making the determinations required by this Section, in order to efficiently coordinate with City budget processes and related procedures. In order to institute this five-year cycle the initial determination may be for less than a five-year period, as determined by the Civil Service Commission. If the City and employee organizations agree to amend the compensation provisions of existing memoranda of understanding to reduce costs, the Civil Service Commission shall review and amend the Supervisors' salary as necessary to achieve comparable cost savings in the affected fiscal year or years. The provisions of this Section shall apply, notwithstanding any other provision of this Charter.

APPROVED AS TO FORM: DENNIS J. HERRERA, City Attorney

By:

Amy S. Ackerman
Deputy City Attorney