A bond measure that would allow San Francisco to borrow hundreds of millions of dollars for upgrading its emergency infrastructure to be more resilient against earthquakes will soon be decided by voters in the upcoming June election.
Proposition A, or the “Earthquake Safety and Emergency Response Bond” will require the approval of at least two-thirds of voters in the June 2 election in order to pass.
Purpose and funding of Proposition A
The measure would authorize the city to borrow up to $535 million in general obligation bonds to finance earthquake safety projects such as improving water pipelines for firefighting as well as retrofitting and upgrading fire and police facilities.
“Keeping San Francisco safe starts with strong, modern emergency infrastructure,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie said in a statement earlier this year after introducing the measure. “By passing this bond, we are taking the steps to keep San Francisco safe by giving our neighborhoods the tools they need to withstand emergency events and ensuring our city is ready to respond when disaster strikes.”
Supporters’ arguments and planned improvements
The bond measure is supported by Lurie , the entire Board of Supervisors, Police Chief Derrick Lew, and Fire Chief Dean Crispen.
Supporters say aging fire and police stations and deteriorating pipelines for emergency water supply make the city more vulnerable in the event of a major earthquake or other disaster.
About $100 million would go toward retrofitting older fire and police buildings, such as the Taraval District police station building that is more than a century old and overdue for a seismic upgrade.
Around $200 million would support renovating the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency’s bus storage and maintenance facility at Potrero Yard, which Lurie says provides buses to transport disaster service workers and emergency responders.
The rest of the proposed loans, around $130 million, would fund the new water system.
“This bond measure is a vital investment in public safety,” Lew said in a statement when the bond measure was announced. “With upgraded facilities, we can continue to provide the best services in any emergency.”
Measure A would allow for an increase in property taxes to pay for the bonds if needed, but City Controller Greg Wagner estimates that potential increase would not go above the 2006 baseline rate since the city’s debt management policy states that property tax rates for general obligation bonds should remain at or below the 2005 to 2006 rate.
It is also San Francisco policy to limit the amount of money the city borrows by issuing new bonds only as previous bonds are paid off. The issuance of bonds would be monitored through annual financial audits, public disclosure of all spending, and oversight by a citizens’ committee.
Opposition and taxpayer concerns
The San Francisco Republican Party filed an argument opposing Measure A, saying that the bond will raise taxes and the funding won’t be enough to cover the proposed repairs needed.
“Prop A won’t deliver on its promises,” the group wrote in its argument filed with the Department of Elections. “The money to repay that loan can only come from one place —your taxes.”
In a rebuttal authored by Lurie, he discussed the urgency of passing Prop A, dismissed the assertion that it will raise taxes, and reiterated how the city follows a policy of paying off old bonds before issuing new ones.
“Preparing now saves far more in recovery costs later, and more importantly, saves lives,” he wrote. “Disasters don’t wait for perfect timing. Prop A ensures San Francisco is ready.”
