Supervisors debate charter amendment on minimum qualifications for oversight boards; measure not submitted after rescission votes

Supervisor Sophie Alioto-Pier introduced a charter amendment for the board on Oct. 23 that would create minimum qualifications for members of city bodies that oversee and administer election, campaign finance, lobbying, conflict-of-interest, open meetings and public records laws.

Alioto-Pier said perceptions matter in governance and cited the U.S. Supreme Court case Buckley v. Valeo in discussing the need to avoid the appearance of improper representative government. The draft was revised in committee to raise a proposed felony-related disqualification period to 10 years; a later amendment proposed shortening certain post-candidacy or registrant disqualifications to two years for people who had been candidates for local elected office, treasurers for committees that must file campaign reports, campaign consultants or registered lobbyists.

The measure passed an early roll call in committee and then on the full board, but board members later took procedural steps to rescind prior action and re-vote. After the rescission motion and re-vote on the charter amendment, the board’s later roll call resulted…