San Francisco supervisors order charter amendment to place "Free City" college fund on 2019 ballot

San Francisco supervisors voted Dec. 18 to order a charter amendment to be submitted to the Department of Elections that would establish a Free City College Fund to defray certain costs for City College students and require designated annual appropriations; the item is slated for the Nov. 5, 2019 ballot.

Supervisor Jane Kim, presiding as president pro tem for the special meeting, told colleagues the proposal grew out of a 2015 effort and the passage of Proposition W, a luxury real estate transfer tax measure she said generated an estimated $20 million to $44 million in revenue and produced $27,000,000 in the first year. "We realized that we could make San Francisco the first city in the nation to make City College free for all of our residents regardless of age, income, or any type of GPA prerequisite," Supervisor Kim said.

The amendment, described by the clerk as "a charter amendment third draft to establish the Free City College Fund to defray certain costs of City College students and to require annual appropriations in designated amounts," will be submitted to the Department of Elections for placement on the November 2019 ballot.

Kim and other sponsors — identified in the meeting as Supervisors Mandelmann, Yi, Ronan, Brown, Feuer and Safai — recapped the policy rationale and fiscal background. Kim told the board that Proposition W raised funds intended to broaden access and that the pilot free-tuition program launched in fall 2017, with an initial City allocation of $6,400,000 of the $27,000,000 available that year, produced an enrollment increase she characterized as "about 20 to 25%" for San Francisco residents and prompted the college to add classes and rehire faculty.

Kim and speakers emphasized that the Free City effort intends to cover more than tuition for low-income students. Kim said the program design includes supplemental stipends for part-time and full-time low-income students "to pay for books and other needs that allow our students to be successful in our school," citing transportation, childcare and materials as barriers to enrollment in other promise-style programs.

During the roll call on whether to order the charter amendment submitted to the Department of Elections, the clerk recorded seven ayes and one no; Supervisor Stephanie cast the lone dissent. The clerk announced: "There are 7 ayes and 1 no with Supervisor Stephanie in the dissent." The board ordered the charter amendment submitted to the November 2019 ballot.

The special meeting opened with the board appointing Supervisor Jane Kim as president pro tem for the session; Supervisor Yi nominated Kim and Supervisor Safai seconded the nomination. The clerk recorded the vote to appoint Kim as the presiding officer for the meeting.

Members of the public addressed the board in general comment. One speaker criticized the program's finances and said City College operated with an annual shortfall, stating, "there's nothing for free" and that City College was "$5,000,000 in debt"; another speaker, who identified themselves as a long-time City College instructor, thanked the board and described free tuition as enabling their long teaching tenure.

The special meeting concluded after brief public comment and procedural items. The charter amendment will proceed through the Department of Elections process for placement on the Nov. 5, 2019 ballot.