San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is supporting a proposed parcel tax on properties that will be used to finance the city’s financially ailing mass transit system.
The San Francisco Standard reports the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA, also known as the Muni) has become financially hobbled to the point that its recent cost-cutting measures included eliminating approximately 500 staff vacancies, $6 million in information technology contracts, and limiting bathroom breaks by drivers – the latter initiative is designed to save $1 million annually.
The parcel tax proposal would be added to the November 2026 ballot as a referendum. A recent Muni Funding Working Group report predicted a local parcel tax could generate $85 million annually.
“We believe that a parcel tax is the best mechanism to generate the level of funding needed to support Muni service and that it can be structured in a way that is fair and affordable,” Lurie wrote in a letter to SFMTA Director Julie Kirschbaum. “We can — and we must — generate the funding necessary to avoid devastating Muni service cuts.”
Did money get shifted away from Muni to help pay for and manage the homeless? I’ll bet it did, secretly!!
Parcel taxes are regressive. The taxes should be based on the actual market value of the properties.
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Why is it “ailing” in the 1st place ? Nobody pays ? Then who needs the service. Close it and people can walk or ride their bicycles.
Sooo, with all the money that has been collected over the years, where is it? Why didn’t “Muni” do upgrades as needed instead of letting it fall to pieces and now the tax payer has to bail it out? There seems to be no accountability for money spent in SF. That needs to end.
Why not increase ticket prices? If people aren’t willing to pay more that tells you something.
Wait….I’m confused but doesn’t California and the city of San Francisco already have a property tax that includes a separate land assessment and tax along with the improvements? Also, isn’t California income tax at around 10% or is it adjusted according to income? Regardless because of reckless spending and graft in county and state governments they have boxed themselves in a corner and if higher taxes can’t be had then the services will be hampered. What about raising ticket costs. Shouldn’t mass transit users pay a hefty share of its costs since they are the direct beneficiaries of the systems? A few years ago in Indianapolis, Indiana they put on the voting ballot a property tax increase directly for mass transit and it barely passed but it did. The state of Indiana is Red but the city of Indianapolis is blue. This massive bus system expansion has been a disaster for the most part. There are lots of people that feel deceived and are very frustrated over the bus systems invasive problems with increased traffic congestion and limiting of parking on their streets. We also received well over 100 million dollars from the federal government in forms of transportation grants. All of that money was national debt financing! Well, if the local people want it then they’ll vote for it to pass. There are a lot of wealthly liberals in that town.
Why would they even consider taxing the homeowner. The increase should be on the consumer of the system.
More of the same for California. I’ve never met a Democrat who wasn’t always sticking their hand in my pocket!
Already overtaxed. Riders should pay more. What’s the difference between a prostitute and a Democrat? A prostitute stops screwing you when you run out of money.
Wait a minute I thought Ca was the 4 largest economy in the world? What does that do for Ca tax payers? Let me help, zero!