Good Government
We believe: The public sector can and should serve the collective good.
• Improve government’s capacity to provide services and address challenges effectively.
• Support voter engagement.
Our Goals
SPUR Voter Guide
The SPUR Voter Guide
The SPUR Voter Guide helps voters understand the issues they will face in the voting booth. We focus on outcomes, not ideology, providing objective analysis on which measures will deliver real solutions.
SPUR Event
Good Government Awards
The Good Government Awards honor outstanding managers working for the City and County of San Francisco, recognizing them for their leadership, vision and ability to make a difference in city government and in the community.
SPUR Report
Back in the Black
San José has the highest median household income of any major city in the country, but years of budget cuts and staffing reductions have left the city in a precarious position. SPUR and Working Partnerships USA explore how San Jose can bolster its resources and deliver high-quality public services.
SPUR Event
SPUR Impact Awards
The Impact Awards Luncheon, honors the outstanding contributions by employees of city and county governments, public agencies and nonprofit organizations in Santa Clara County. The awards celebrate significant accomplishments in the areas of housing, transportation, placemaking and urban design, community advocacy, and sustainability and resilience.
Updates and Events
SPUR Hosts San Jose Mayoral Candidates Debate
News /
San Jose is about to choose a new mayor — a decision that will affect the city for decades to come. To help voters get to know the candidates and their positions on our issues, SPUR held a debate between the two contenders vying for the seat, Santa Clara County Supervisor Dave Cortese and San Jose City Councilmember Sam Liccardo.
Quick Guide to SPUR's SF Ballot Recommendations
News /
It's election season and time for SPUR's in-depth analysis of local San Francisco ballot measures. Don't want to wade through our 30-page voter guide? Check out this quick summary of all our recommendations. For those who do want to nerd out, don't worry — we've included links to our complete analysis.
November 2014 Voter Guide
Voter Guide
SPUR provides in-depth analysis of the 12 local propositions on San Francisco's November 2014 ballot. For each measure we ask: Is it necessary and appropriate to be on the ballot? Is it practical, and if enacted will it achieve the result it proposes? And most important: Is it a worthy goal, one that will make San Francisco a better place to work and live?
June 2014 Voter Guide
Voter Guide
SPUR provides in-depth analysis of the two City of San Francisco measures on the June 2014 ballot: Prop. A, a $400 million bond to rehabilitate or replace seismically vulnerable fire and public safety facilties; and Prop. B, an ordinance that would require voter approval for increases to existing height limits on Port of San Francisco property.
2014 Good Government Awards: How Zoon Nguyen United 500 Couples in One Weekend
News /
SPUR’s 34th annual Good Government Awards recognized Zoon Nguyen for rolling out the San Francisco assessor-recorder’s electronic system, increasing regular assessments and helping the city issue 500 marriage licenses in one weekend after the federal court announced the resumption of same-sex marriages.
2014 Good Government Awards: How the LEAP Team Keeps Kids Out of Trouble
News /
SPUR’s 34th annual Good Government Awards recognized the City of San Francisco’s Legal Educational Advocacy Program Team for improving educational outcomes for youth in the juvenile justice system and curbing the cycle of young people who go back into the system.