June 2022: Yes on Prop F: Improve Refuse Collection Rate-Setting

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Light green, dark green, and lime green campaign logo for Yes on F. The F is in a trash can. Text below the image says "Fight for Fair Rates."

Prop F improves San Francisco’s process for setting rates for refuse collection, bringing more transparency and oversight to the City’s approval of residential and business costs for garbage and recycling pickup.

Created 90 years ago, the current regulations do not include adequate monitoring or safeguards against corruption, and as we have seen, this invites scandal. Most recently, due to this regulatory shortfall, the Department of Public Works allowed Recology to overcharge residents by millions of dollars. 

To reform this process, Prop F will take away a key rate-setting responsibility from the head of the Department of Public Works and instead give it to the City Controller, with additional guardrails. Currently, the City Controller, the City Administrator, and the General Manager of the Public Utilities Commission sit on the Refuse Rate Board, the decision-making body for refuse rates. Under Prop F, the City Controller will no longer sit on the Refuse Rate Board and instead will monitor rates and present rate amendments to the board as the Refuse Rate Administrator. Any change in rates must be presented to the Commission on the Environment and the Commission on Streets and Sanitation and approved by the Refuse Rate Board in public hearings. 

Additionally, Prop F adds a taxpayer advocate to the Refuse Rate Board, giving residents a voice in determining the rates for refuse collection and disposal.

Prop F also authorizes the Refuse Rate Board to set commercial collection rates, which currently are set by private contracts between businesses and vendors. Many larger businesses, with more sophisticated resources, are able to negotiate more favorable rates than smaller businesses. Prop F would ensure a more fair and consistent rate schedule for businesses of all sizes.

Finally, Prop F enables the Board of Supervisors to make changes to the Refuse Ordinance without requiring a ballot initiative. However, any amendments would require a supermajority of at least 8 votes and must be recommended by the Refuse Rate Administrator, the Rate Board, and the Mayor.

In all, these changes designed for increased transparency and oversight add up to significant improvements to the process for setting rates paid by San Francisco residents and businesses for garbage and recycling pickup.

To support good governance in San Francisco, SFLCV recommends a yes vote on Prop F.