Rules Committee backs one-time shortening of two Health Service Board terms to stagger elections

The Rules Committee recommended a positive committee report on a charter amendment that would, on a one-time basis, shorten the terms of two Health Service Board members so future elections are consolidated.

Supervisor Sean Ellsberg, the sponsor, told the committee the Health Service System serves more than 100,000 active employees, retirees and dependents and endures repeated annual elections for board seats. Ellsberg said consolidating terms so elections occur less frequently would cut recurring Department of Elections costs and cited a city controller letter estimating roughly $30,000 in annual savings. "It's not a significant amount of money in our $6,500,000,000 budget, but an additional $30,000 at the health service system would go a long way," he said.

During public comment Thomas Picariello voiced support for the change. Jerry Meister, representing the United Educators of San Francisco retirees, opposed the measure and argued that the Health Service Board requires continuity and expertise: he said the board and its director had voted not to support the amendment and warned that truncating terms could lead to multiple new, inexperienced members at once.

Committee members asked whether the proposed truncations would affect the board's ability to function. Ellsberg said the two affected commissioners had long tenures and indicated they intended to seek reelection, and described the change as a one-time administrative step to reduce the frequency of elections.

Supervisor Eric Marr moved a positive recommendation; the committee took the motion without objection and forwarded the matter as a committee report.

The committee did not take a final vote on a ballot placement at the meeting; the action recorded was a committee recommendation to move the charter amendment forward to the full Board of Supervisors and, if appropriate, to the ballot.