The Board of Supervisors is the legislative branch of the city and county of San Francisco. It consists of 11 supervisors, each of which is elected by a Supervisorial District in San Francisco. Supervisors serve terms of four years, and are prohibited from serving more than two successive terms of four years.
Composition
As of February 26, 2013, the Board consists of:
Districts. See our page on Supervisorial Districts for more.
- District 1: Eric Mar
- District 2: Marc Farrell
- District 3: David Chiu (Current President)
- District 4: Katy Tang
- District 5: London Breed
- District 6: Jane Kim
- District 7: Norman Yee
- District 8: Scott Wiener
- District 9: David Campos
- District 10: Malia Cohen
- District 11: John Avalos
See our page on Supervisorial Districts for more.
Process
(information from http://www.sfbos.org/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=44833) Legislation in San Francisco includes ordinances, resolutions and motions. Legislation is passed in a five stage process.
1. Writing: Ordinances must be approved by the City Attorney as to form before its introduction. Resolutions concerning interim zoning controls and bonds must first be approved by the City Attorney.
2. Introduction: Supervisors, the Mayor and department heads may submit ordinances and resolutions to the Clerk for introduction.
3. Committee hearing: The legislation must be placed on a committee agenda and subject to a hearing. Some items require special notice before a hearing. Consult the committee clerk. The public is invited to attend and speak to any matter before a committee.
4. Recommendation: Two of the three members of a committee must agree to send the legislation to the full board. The committee may vote to recommend the legislation, or to send it to the full board without a recommendation or with recommendation not to pass the legislation.
5. Majority vote: Six members of the board must vote to pass the legislation. For ordinances, this must be done at two separate meetings. On some matters, such as overruling the Planning Commission, eight votes are required. A few urgent or very routine resolutions are adopted on the day they are introduced, without being referred to committee. Such matters require a unanimous vote of the Supervisors present.
6. Mayoral veto: No later than the day after approval by the board, the legislation is sent to the Mayor for approval or veto. The Mayor may approve or veto the legislation within 10 days. Legislation not vetoed within 10 days is deemed approved. Ordinances go into effect 30 days after approval. Resolutions go into effect immediately upon approval.
6.a. Overriding veto: The Board may override a mayoral veto within 30 days if at least 8 members vote to override.
Election Process
In 1996 a proposition passed which called for voting of supervisors to be returned to geographically defined districts (they have been voted for in at large elections in the past). Elections for odd districts was to be every 4 years starting in 2000 and for even districts in 2002 with 4 year terms.
The current term limit is defined more than two successive four year terms. As was upheld when Alioto-Piers attempted to run for the Board after having finished Gavin Newsom's term and a subsequent term.
Notable former supervisors (and the years they were on the Board)
- Dianne Feinstein (1970-1978)
- Mark Leno (1998-2002)
- Carole Migden (1991-1996)
- Harvey Milk (1978)
- George R. Moscone (1964-1967)
- Gavin Newsom (1997-2004)
- Dan White (1978)
