10/23/2026
On your ballot this election will be 5 ballot proposals, and I have been asked for my thoughts on them. This is a long post but hopefully gives you enough insight to make your own decision.
It is important to understand that ballot proposals come out of the Charter Revision Commission, a body convened by the Mayor. My concern anytime I am faced with these proposals is that they tend to, if approved, consolidate more power into the executive, remove power from the legislature, and limit or expedite public review. In a year with a popular mayor, this might sound like a great idea to some, but charter changes outlast whatever administration passes them, and are difficult to reverse. Because they tend to limit or eliminate Council review, anything that consolidates power into an executive is prioritizing a citywide vote (for the Mayor and for their proposals) over the concerns of specific communities who elect their own legislative representative (the Council.)
This is the case with at least three of these proposals -- specifically proposal #1, #2, and #3.
Proposal #1 would expedite the use of public space for private purposes -- most notably, outdoor dining -- by removing most Council and public review. As stated above, consolidating that power into the Mayor, without mandatory Council and public review, is something that concerns me.
Proposal #2 would limit or entirely remove mandatory public review of certain city contracts, in an effort to expedite procurement processes. Given the very recent history of corruption in the Executive, consolidating this power into a Mayor without public review is something that concerns me.
Proposal #3 does a number of things, but most notably would remove City Council approval on certain street safety projects, and would also remove the City Council from the rezoning of some public land. Given how much power the Council lost in land use in the last set of ballot proposals, consolidating even more land use power into the Executive is something that deeply concerns me.
As far as I can best understand it, proposals #4 and #5 do not significantly limit Council or public review, and I do not have significant concerns about these proposals at this time.
Would these proposals yield "faster" or "more efficient" government? Yes. Would they lead to better outcomes? Depends on who is Mayor! And that is my fundamental problem with proposals #1-3.
Hope this is helpful.
