In 1999, in response to crisis sapping the health of Muni, transit advocates and downtown businesses came together requesting city officials establish an independent agency to manage our ailing transit system.
I participated in those negotiations with then-Mayor Willie Brown, Muni riders, labor, business interests, and environmentalists to draft Proposition E, which proposed the creation of a Municipal Transportation Agency. The proposal offered several solutions to Muni's problems: governance by an independent board, a guaranteed revenue stream, and a system of service standards to establish accountability. Proposition E was passed by 57 percent of San Francisco voters in 2001.
Muni has improved in noticeable ways since then and most observers agree that the improvements resulted from Proposition E. The agency also benefited from funding increases and the wholesale replacement of trains and buses that were plaguing the performance of the system in 1999.
In an effort to shield the MTA from political influence, Proposition E established unique procedures for its annual budget review process, including a two-thirds Board of Supervisors threshold to reject Muni's budget. The board could either approve or reject Muni's budget, but was disallowed from enacting any line item review, as is permitted with most other departments.
During the past several years, these provisions, coupled with two fare increases, have contributed to contentious debate at the Board of Supervisors. Given that the MTA Board of Directors has line item control of Muni's budget, this debate should occur at the MTA board – not at the Board of Supervisors.
Since 1999, voters have also approved measures to reform the Planning Commission, the Board of Appeals, and the Police Commission by dividing appointment power to these bodies between the mayor and the Board of Supervisors, with majority of appointments going to the mayor, and board confirmation of all nominees.
The Planning Commission and the Board of Supervisors jointly oversee land use and zoning on a citywide basis. Split appointments to the commission have yielded real results: substantive debate about issues affecting neighborhoods, establishment of a bona fide community planning process, and a dramatic lessening of tensions between the board, the Planning Commission, and residents.
The Police Commission oversees allegations of misconduct. Prior to the passage of Proposition H, the commission rarely heard cases of alleged misconduct. Now the Police Commission is truly exercising its citizen oversight function by engaging in vigorous debate and dialogue with affected communities.
By splitting appointments to the MTA board between the mayor and the Board of Supervisors, as specified in Proposition D, voters will be guaranteed that diverse voices contribute to budget deliberations. There will be greater public confidence that difficult decisions such as fare hikes, senior and student discounts, and parking fines and fees have been vigorously and thoroughly debated.
Join the Noe Valley Democratic Club, Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club, District 1 Democratic Club, District 3 Democratic Club, Bernal Heights Democratic Club, District 9 Democratic Club, San Francisco Women's Political Caucus, Senior Action Network, and the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council and vote yes on Proposition D on November 8.
Tom Ammiano represents District 9 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.