Board creates fund, reserves $9 million contingent on transfer tax to provide free City College tuition

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Sept. 20 established a city-administered fund intended to make City College tuition free for San Francisco residents and approved a contingent supplemental appropriation of $9 million to seed the effort.

Supervisor Jane Kim, who sponsored the ordinance, told the board the measure is designed to use projected revenue from a proposed increase in the real-estate transfer tax to restore tuition-free City College for residents, employees of City College, the city and county of San Francisco, and San Francisco Unified School District staff. "Making City College free today for all San Francisco residents would cost $12,900,000," Kim said during her presentation.

Kim said the ordinance also included a $9 million supplemental appropriation that would be held in reserve and become available only if voters approve the transfer-tax measure in November. "The supplemental is, of course, contingent on the passage of Proposition W," she said during introductions of new business.

The board unanimously approved the ordinance on first reading with an amendment after Kim moved to delete one section that designated the Department of Children, Youth and Their Families to provide administrative…