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Supervisors consider several November revenue options, including sales tax, parcel tax and stadium naming rights
Summary
The Budget & Finance Committee discussed multiple measures to raise revenue for San Francisco — a half‑cent sales tax (option to reduce to a quarter‑cent), a Recreation & Park parcel tax, and an amendment to allow stadium naming rights with half the proceeds for Rec & Park directors — and sent some items forward while continuing others for further refinement.
The Budget & Finance Committee spent a substantial portion of its July 15 meeting considering several potential revenue measures that could appear on the November ballot, along with a proposal to permit naming rights for Candlestick Park in order to fund recreation staffing.
Supervisor John Avalos introduced an ordinance to add article 16‑8 to San Francisco’s business and tax code to impose a transactions (sales) and use tax of one‑half of one percent for three years to support health, human services and public protection. Controller Ben Rosenfield estimated the half‑cent would raise roughly $60–63 million annually; Avalos and others proposed as an alternative a quarter‑cent that would raise an estimated ~$30 million.
Separately, the committee considered a parcel tax proposal for Recreation & Park (Item 5) that initially used per‑parcel starting rates (residential per unit $150; multi‑unit $175; commercial and industrial $500; downtown commercial $5,000) and a projected revenue of roughly $62 million under the draft structure. Ted Egan of the Controller’s Office presented an economic analysis showing about 72% of revenue would come from residential owners and warned of long‑term rent pass‑through effects; he offered mitigation options including senior exemptions, lowering industrial rates, and raising vacant land rates.
Supervisor Duffy proposed a ballot measure to allow naming rights for the Candlestick stadium and to dedicate 50 percent of naming‑rights revenue to hire recreation center directors; committee members expressed support with caveats about acceptable sponsors and noted the initiative cannot bind future Boards to specific appropriations. The Recreation & Park department and unions testified they support measures that preserve rec directors and restore services.
Public testimony included business, labor and neighborhood voices: Jim Lazarus (Chamber) cautioned that additional sales tax would be regressive and could harm competitiveness; several union speakers and Rec & Park staff urged dedicated funding for park programs and rec directors; small business concerns centered on parcel tax pass‑through and high downtown commercial parcel rates.
Committee actions: Item 4 (sales tax ordinance) was forwarded to the full board without recommendation; Item 5 (parcel tax) was continued for further development; Item 6 (naming rights) was continued one week to correct a drafting error and allow a narrow amendment.
Why it matters: The trio of measures would shape how the city fills a structural revenue gap for services including public health and parks. The committee’s deliberations highlighted trade‑offs between revenue size, regressivity and long‑term economic effects, and flagged the need for clearer ballot language and mitigation for low‑income residents.
