What the Measure Would Do

This measure would allow San Francisco to sell $628.5 million in bonds to finance the construction, acquisition, improvement and seismic retrofitting of the city’s emergency management infrastructure, including fire and police facilities and the 911 call center. The ultimate uses of the bond revenues would be determined if the measure passes, but the city has identified the following possible uses:

• $275 million for seismically upgrading select neighborhood firehouses and replacing the Treasure Island firefighter academy and training facility

• $153.5 million to fund upgrades to the city’s Emergency Firefighting Water System

• $121 million to support seismic upgrades to district police stations and other police facilities

• $70 million for seismic improvements to other disaster response facilities

• $9 million to fund an expansion of the Department of Emergency Management’s 911 call center

This bond would generate approximately $40 million each year to be spent on these potential uses. It would be funded through property taxes at the rate of 1.5 cents for every $100 of assessed property value for 30 years (equivalent to $150 a year for a $1 million home). It would not raise taxes above today’s levels, because it would be part of the city’s capital planning program, which holds property taxes steady at the 2006 rate. The city achieves this by only issuing new bonds as older ones retire and the tax base grows. This measure would require annual reporting on expenditures by a citizens’ oversight committee, as well as periodic public reporting and the creation of a website describing bond projects and progress.

The Backstory

There is a 72% likelihood that a major earthquake (6.7 magnitude or greater) will strike the Bay Area within the next 25 years. San Francisco’s emergency response system depends on a citywide network of critical infrastructure, including first responder facilities, cisterns, water pipes, disaster response shelters and more.

This bond would extend the Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response (ESER) bond program, which began in June 2010 with voter approval of a $412 million bond and continued in June 2014 with voter approval of a $400 million bond. All of the authorized 2010 and 2014 bonds have been sold and put to use.

Prop. B was placed on the ballot by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors and the signature of the mayor. As a bond measure, it requires a two-thirds majority to pass.

Pros

• The projects that would be funded by Prop. B would improve San Francisco’s ability to respond to — and recover from — a major disaster. Efficient disaster response can save lives, reduce injuries and limit property damage.

• This measure is part of a long-planned capital improvement program that was developed to sequence investments at a level that the city can afford, without a property tax increase.

• Prop. B would improve the fair distribution of city services by extending San Francisco’s high-pressure firefighting water system to neighborhoods it does not currently serve. In addition, this extension would provide a backup emergency supply for the drinking water distribution system.

• This measure would help support public health by retrofitting certain community facilities to provide multiple disaster-related services, including shelter, cooling and clean air.

Cons

• This measure does not specify which or how many facilities would be retrofitted for $628.5 million. As a result, we don’t know how much closer this level of investment would bring the city toward its overall seismic performance targets.

• Earthquakes are just one hazard the city faces; in a world of growing risks to the built environment from climate change, a major public bond program should invest in resilience to multiple hazards, not just earthquakes. San Francisco also needs safety from flooding, extreme heat, power service interruption and more. There is currently no bond program dedicated to retrofitting our public infrastructure to protect from these hazards.