121,524 / 71.80% Yes votes ...... 47,684 / 28.10% No votes

See Also: Index of all Measures

THE PROPOSAL: Proposition C is a Charter amendment that would make three changes defining districts for supervisorial elections:

• It would list the specific streets and map lines forming the boundaries of District Eleven in the same manner as the other districts;

• It would include Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island in District Six; and

• It would assign any other qualified voters legally residing in the territorial waters around San Francisco to the nearest onshore district.

Meaning of Voting Yes/No

A YES vote of this measure means:

If you vote yes, you want to make these changes in how the districts are defined for supervisorial elections.

A NO vote of this measure means:

If you vote no, you do not want to make these changes in how the districts are defined for supervisorial elections.

League of Women Voters

• Voters Guide on SF Measures

FAQVoter.com

• Q&As on the Ballot Measures

• ELECTION '99

Residents of Yerba Buena and Treasure Island would be specifically included in District Six, which is connected to them by the Bay Bridge, as was noted in the map of proposed districts, but not specifically in the descriptions of district boundaries approved by the voters. This change makes clear Treasure and Yerba Buena Islands are to be part of District Six.

The second change would specifically assign "off-shore" residents to the closest "on-shore" district. Because the original charter amendment considered the shoreline as the boundary for each district, clear provision was not made for "off-shore" residents of San Francisco's territorial waters, stretching from the Faralon Islands to the middle of San Francisco Bay. This change would assign residents of off-shore territories to the closest on-shore district. The third change would specifically list the streets and boundaries that form the District Eleven. This would match the descriptions used for the other ten districts, all of which have their boundaries described by specific streets and lines.

All of these changes merely resolve and clarify which residents reside in which district and create specific descriptions of the actual streets and lines of all of the district's boundaries. Approval of these technical corrections is the last preliminary step needed to set the stage for the restoration of district election of Supervisors as the people of San Francisco determined in November 1996.

Board of Supervisors

Currently having less than ten voters, Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island are part of a strange City Hall political plan to transfer the two islands from high-voter-turnout Supervisorial District 11 (Outer Mission, Excelsior, and Visitacion Valley) to Supervisorial District 6 (South-of-Market and South Beach).

While Mayor Willie Brown's committee to develop the two islands seems to be quiet about its plans for the moment, if their candidate is reelected it is likely that there will be intensive casino, hotel, and/or housing developments.

The perhaps politically well-organized population of the islands - which could become fairly large if high-rise housing is constructed - might well tend to dominate poorly-educated and lower income mainland Supervisorial District 6.

Should the 65-years-old and term-limited Mayor Willie Brown make re-election, expect major new development projects (and considerable controversy) in the years immediately ahead.

Let Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island be developed BEFORE they are transferred to District 6-or anywhere else. For now, keep the two islands in District 11. They can be re-districted in the future, if there is any reason for it.

Vote NO, NO, NO on Proposition C.

Dr. Terence Faulkner, J. D.
Golden Gate Taxpayers' Association Chairman

Proposition C is a strangely worded proposed San Francisco City Charter amendment.

Its only legal effect is to transfer two almost unpopulated islands from Supervisorial District 11 to Supervisorial District 6. The two islands currently only have about ten registered voters, but they are involved in a lot of disputes over their future development.

The two islands to be transferred are, of course, Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island.

The rest of the "wording" changes for the City Charter are to add lots of extra statements, known as "legal surplusage":

As currently stated in the City Charter, Supervisorial District 11 is defined as everything in San Francisco not included in Districts 1 to 10. Proposition C starts listing the actual street lines...in endless and unnecessary detail.

In view of the development disputes currently going on in San Francisco, voters should cast their ballots "NO" on Proposition C.

If you have any questions, read: "FBI PROBE TURNS TO BAYFRONT PROPERTY PROPOSALS: Two projects involved Mayor's Pal Charlie Walker" in the 8/11/99 Examiner. Review some of San Francisco's other development and FBI media coverage. It's not a pretty picture.

Vote AGAINST Proposition C...There is no proper reason to transfer the two islands from Supervisorial District 11 to Supervisorial District 6.

We think that there is a legal trick or secret political "agenda".

Citizens for a New San Francisco City Government
Terence Faulkner, J.D.
Chairman

Citizens for a New San Francisco City Government
Patrick C. Fitzgerald
Past Secretary
San Francisco Democratic Party

Proposition C makes a technical change to the boundaries for next year's district elections for the Board of Supervisors.

Opponents are right about one thing: Proposition C will transfer voters who live on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island to supervisorial District 6 (South of Market/Tenderloin), which makes sense because the islands are connected to the South of Market district by the Bay Bridge. Without this change, these residents would end up voting in District 11 (which includes the OMI and Excelsior neighborhoods, among others).

While there are currently only a few residents on Treasure Island and Yerba Buena Island, there will be many more in the future. Let's not deny them the opportunity to vote with their closest neighbors, with whom they will share common interests (transit, traffic congestion, neighborhood services, etc.).

Please vote YES on Proposition C.

Board of Supervisors