“This victory is another step toward ensuring that San Francisco families benefit from millions of dollars for childcare and early childhood education.”
SAN FRANCISCO (Jan. 27, 2021) — City Attorney Dennis Herrera issued the following statement today after the First District Court of Appeal ruled in the City’s favor in the case involving Proposition C from the June 2018 ballot. The ballot measure authorizes an additional tax on the lease of commercial property for landlords with annual gross receipts over $1 million to fund childcare and early education in San Francisco:
“As we have said since the City of Upland decision was handed down, we’re confident that when voters act through the initiative process, a simple majority is required. We’re pleased the courts have once again affirmed that principle. We were the first public law office to take that position, and we were proud to do so, because we had the facts, the law and the will of the people on our side.
From the beginning, this case has been about upholding the will of the voters. San Francisco voters have the right to direct democracy and self-government. This victory is another step toward ensuring that San Francisco families benefit from millions of dollars for childcare and early childhood education that voters approved when they passed Proposition C in June 2018. It’s needed now more than ever as we face an economic crisis on top of a pandemic.”
Case Background
San Francisco voters in the June 2018 election passed Proposition C, also known as the Universal Childcare for San Francisco Families Initiative. It imposes a special tax on gross receipts from the lease of commercial space primarily to fund early care and education services for San Francisco children. It won approximately 51% of the vote. On Aug. 3, 2018 an anti-tax group, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, and other plaintiffs sued to invalidate the ballot measure, saying it needed two-thirds approval. A San Francisco Superior Court judge ruled in July 2019 in the City’s favor, finding only a simple majority was required for approval. The plaintiffs then appealed that ruling, and today lost at the Court of Appeal. Two other San Francisco ballot measures that passed with simple majorities have also been upheld by the courts.
The First District Court of Appeal’s opinion is available here.
Additional information is available on the City Attorney’s website at: www.sfcityattorney.org.
# # #