San Francisco Supervisor Bilal Mahmood is urging the Board of Supervisors to vote on the Affordable Groceries Act after the measure was removed from Wednesday’s Budget and Finance Committee agenda.
Mahmood said Budget Committee Chair Connie Chan told him the proposal was pulled at the request of Mayor Daniel Lurie.
He also alleged that Amazon lobbyists had sought an exemption for the company’s vacant Whole Foods store on Market Street, which his office declined to include, according to a news release issued Friday.
The proposal would impose financial penalties on large grocery and pharmacy chains that leave stores vacant for extended periods and create a fund to support affordable grocery access in neighborhoods that have lost supermarkets and pharmacies.
Under Board of Supervisors rules, the measure can still be brought before the full board for a vote. Mahmood argued that removing the proposal from the committee without a hearing denied the public an opportunity to weigh in before a decision is made.
Mahmood said he has the support of Supervisors Chyanne Chen, Danny Sauter, Stephen Sherrill and Myrna Melgar and needs one more vote to place the measure on the November ballot.
The legislation is intended to address long-vacant grocery and pharmacy locations, which Mahmood said contributes to rising food insecurity and reduced access to essential services in parts of the city.