SF supervisor factions make nice, OK ballot measures

Supervisor Malia Cohensays there was “a willingness to bridge a gap” at this meeting. Supervisor Malia Cohensays there was “a willingness to bridge a gap” at this meeting. Photo: Jeff Chiu / Jeff Chiu / Associated Press Photo: Jeff Chiu / Jeff Chiu / Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close SF supervisor factions make nice, OK ballot measures 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

Perhaps chagrined by the acerbic public display of animosity at last week’s board meeting, San Francisco’s supervisors played nice on Tuesday, and announced they had reached agreements on several proposed ballot measures that were in jeopardy because the progressive and moderate blocs were too mad at each other to compromise.

There was a little nudging along the way, as board President London Breed started the meeting by admonishing her colleagues that they were prohibited from acting in a manner “unworthy or unbecoming” of a supervisor. The tenor throughout Tuesday’s meeting was markedly different from last week, when the supervisors traded accusations of extortion and underhanded politics.

Public advocate deal

While hard feelings linger privately, the supervisors were able to reach consensus on several proposed November ballot measures, including requiring the city to take responsibility for street trees to establishing an office of public advocate.

Key to the goodwill was a last-minute deal on the measure that sparked last week’s meltdown — Supervisor Malia Cohen’s proposal to create a Department of Police Accountability, which would have the authority to audit Police Department policies.

Last week, the progressives refused to put it on the ballot as a stand-alone measure and, over Cohen’s objections, folded it into Supervisor David Campos’ proposed ballot measure to create a public advocate office, which Cohen and the other moderates oppose.

Cohen angrily accused the progressives of playing politics with the lives of black and brown people simply out of political retribution because, over their objections, she had sought to amend the public advocate proposal to require elected officials to sit out one term — four years — before running for the office. The progressives retorted that they were making her measure stronger by making the Department of Police Accountability independent of the mayor.

Campos’ caveat

But over the last week, as African American groups criticized merging the measures, the progressives changed their position. On Tuesday, Campos proposed allowing Cohen’s measure to go on the ballot by itself, with the caveat that the public advocate would appoint the department’s director.

“I know that it has been a very tense time for the last few days,” Campos said. “I am happy that both measures are moving forward. I think it really gives voters in San Francisco an opportunity to make a choice.”

Cohen also lauded the compromise. “What you heard today is a willingness to bridge a gap that occurred last week,” she said.

The moderates and progressives also reached an agreement on a measure to return tree maintenance to the city — it’s now the responsibility of property owners. While all the supervisors supported the idea, they have wrangled on the best way to pay for it.

Scott Wiener proposed a parcel tax. John Avalos wanted a bundled Charter amendment and carbon tax designed to bring in enough money to care for the trees. Norman Yee wanted to transfer maintenance much sooner, but without earmarked funding.

City to pay for trees

In the end, none of those proposals won out. Instead, the supervisors agreed that the city would pay for tree maintenance by using new anticipated revenues, including money from a proposed transfer tax on properties worth more than $5 million. The measure will still go on the ballot because it mandates a $19 million set-aside to ensure that the city always allocates the funding.

In an unusual love fest, Wiener thanked Avalos — with whom he often clashes — “for his partnership and his creative thinking” in reaching a compromise.

Avalos returned the nod. “We often don’t see eye to eye on issues,” Avalos said of Wiener. But trees, he said, are “an issue that can unite this Board of Supervisors.”

Emily Green is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: egreen@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @emilytgreen