Lauren Day
Contributing Writer
The City by the Bay notoriously embraces its diverse community and champions progressive thinking—qualities also exemplified by San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors is a group of democratically elected supervisors who represent each of the 11 districts of the City. The Board of Supervisors exists to propose and enact legislation to assist in providing San Francisco residents with an improved way of life.
Some of the 11 districts include the University of San Francisco (USF) and areas in which USF students live, namely, District 1—composed of the Richmond district, Golden Gate Park, and USF; District 2—composed of the Marina, Pacific Heights, Laurel Heights and the Presidio; and District 5—composed of Haight Ashbury, Fillmore, Japantown, Hayes Valley and the Inner Sunset.
The Board handles issues concerning rental rules and regulations, MUNI services and much more. For example, on September 3, the Budget and Finance Committee of the Board approved a $1.2 billion contract for hundreds of new MUNI light rail vehicles to be manufactured and implemented by 2017.
Supervisor Eric Mar
District 1
Supervisor Mar represents District 1, which includes USF. He was elected in 2008 and reelected in 2012 and has lived in the Richmond District since 1986. He is a longtime advocate for youth, seniors, families and small businesses in the community.
Mar recently proposed a “Retail Workers’ Bill of Rights” before City Hall that has been generating a great deal of discussion on the treatment of hourly, low wage employees in San Francisco. The approval of the bill would “promote full-time work and access to hours, discourage abusive on-call scheduling practices and encourage fair, predictable schedules” for all retail and fastfood workers of the city according to Retail Workers’s website.
Regarding the proposal, Supervisor Mar said, “When you are on call, you are required to put your life on hold.”
USF students and District 1 residents can contact him at [email protected] with any inquiries, complaints, or suggestions.
Supervisor Mark Farrell
District 2
The San Francisco native focuses on community empowerment, economic development, and public safety. He is up for re-election in November.
He received his B.A. from Loyola Marymount University, his M.A. from the University College Dublin in Ireland, and his J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
President of the Board David Chiu
District 3
Supervisor and President of the Board David Chiu oversees District 3, which is comprised of North Beach, Chinatown, Union Square, the Financial District, and Fisherman’s Wharf.
In November, he will be on the ballot to represent San Francisco’s 17th Assembly District.
He is a longtime advocate for labor rights and small businesses.
Chiu received his bachelor’s, graduate, and law degrees from Harvard University.
Supervisor Katy Tang
District 4
District 4 includes the Sunset District, Parkside and Pine Lake Park.
Tang is an active member of the San Francisco Collaborative against Human Trafficking. She introduced legislation before the Board that was unanimously enacted to provide additional enforcement tools to restrict massage parlors acting as potential fronts for human trafficking centers.
Supervisor London Breed
District 5
Through her work with the San Francisco Redevelopment Agency Commission, Supervisor London Breed spearheaded redevelopment projects that created thousands of new, affordable housing units in the city. She also helped in establishing the Fillmore Jazz Preservation District.
She received her B.A. from UC Davis and her masters’ degree in Public Administration from the University of San Francisco.
Supervisor Jane Kim
District 6
District 6 includes SOMA, the Tenderloin, Civic Center, and Treasure Island.
Kim is passionate about providing quality, public education within the city and promoting thoughtful neighborhood development. She currently serves on the Land Use Committee, which makes recommendations on development projects within the city.
Supervisor Norman Yee
District 7
District 7 includes Twin Peaks, Golden Gate Heights, Stonestown, Park Merced and San Francisco State.
Yee assisted in establishing such organizations as the Asian Parent Education Network, San Francisco Child Care Providers Association and the San Francisco Early Head Start Program.
Supervisor Scott Weiner
District 8
District 8 includes the Castro, Noe Valley, Glen Park, and the Duboce Triangle.
Weiner is Vice Chair of the San Francisco County Transportation Authority and represents San Francisco on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. A forerunner in leading the LGBT community, he also co-chaired the LGBT Democratic Club and served on the national board for the Human Rights Campaign.
Supervisor David Campos
District 9
District 9 is composed of the Mission, Bernal Heights, and Portola.
Campos is an advocate for labor rights and immigrant rights. He is currently campaigning for a State Assembly position, San Francisco’s 17th District, which will be determined in the November election.
Supervisor Malia Cohen
District 10
District 10 includes Bayview, Hunters Point, Potrero Hill, and Visitacion Valley.
Since the San Francisco native’s election in 2010, Cohen has sponsored three ordinances regulating firearms in the city and giving law enforcement further tools in combating gun violence.
Supervisor John Avalos
District 11
District 11 is comprised of Ingleside, Excelsior, Outer Mission and Crocker Amazon.
Avalos is an avid advocate for labor rights. He sponsored a local ordinance mandating employers to provide at least 50% of labor hours to San Francisco residents.
Inspiring and thought provoking! Excited to see what the new reps do for our city.