By Louis Wong
SFPOA President
First responders warn the ballot measure would blow a permanent hole in the general fund that pays for firefighters and police officers — just as the city is finally rebuilding its ranks
August 12, 2026 — Today, Mayor Daniel Lurie joined San Francisco Firefighters Local 798 and the San Francisco Police Officers Association to announce their strong opposition to Proposition I — the so-called “Affordable Housing Guarantee Act,” which appears on the November ballot as “Changes to Real Property Transfer Tax”. Together, they are issuing a stern warning that the measure would carve a massive, permanent hole in the city’s general fund — the same fund that pays the firefighters, paramedics, and police officers who respond when San Franciscans call 911.
“Proposition I funds special interests—not affordable housing—while draining the budget that pays for police officers and firefighters,” said Mayor Daniel Lurie. “This measure lacks accountability and oversight, and it would rip over $100 million dollars from the budget that pays for the people who respond when you call 911. Voters have the opportunity to join labor and business to expand our investment in affordable housing through Proposition C, without cutting a single police officer or firefighter. We are strongly united in voting NO on Proposition I, and YES on Proposition C.”
The timing of the special-interest led Proposition I could not be worse. San Francisco is in the middle of its most aggressive first-responder hiring push in years. The Police Department remains more than 500 officers below its recommended staffing level of roughly 2,000 sworn officers, with fewer than 1,500 full-duty officers on the streets, and the Sheriff’s Office is short nearly 200 deputies. Under Mayor Lurie’s “Rebuilding the Ranks” initiative, SFPD recently recorded its first net increase in officers since 2020 and its largest surge of recruits in five years — progress paid for out of the very general fund this measure would drain.
“We are finally turning the corner on staffing after years of losing officers, and this is exactly the wrong moment to drain the fund that’s paying for that comeback,” said Louis Wong, President of the San Francisco Police Officers Association. “San Franciscans have been clear: they want more officers walking their neighborhoods, not fewer. This measure writes a blank check to nonprofits and hands the bill to public safety.”
Currently, San Francisco’s firefighters rely on mandatory overtime to keep firehouses open, ambulances in service, and enough firefighters on duty to respond when lives are on the line. Vacant firefighter positions mean the same crews are working longer hours, covering more shifts, and carrying an ever-growing burden just to maintain minimum staffing. That is not a long-term solution—it is an emergency that demands more firefighters, not fewer resources. To keep firehouses staffed and beats covered while those ranks are rebuilt, the city has already leaned on tens of millions of dollars in overtime. Draining the budget that pays for firefighters and paramedics will further strengthen these critical city services.
“Every dollar this measure locks away is a dollar that can’t staff a firehouse, run an ambulance, or answer a 911 call,” said Sam Gebler, President of San Francisco Firefighters Local 798. “Our members are already covering a stretched department on overtime, and this measure would make it harder for us to respond quickly when San Franciscans call for help for years to come.”
Local 798, the SFPOA, and the Mayor pointed instead to Proposition C, the Housing Trust Fund Expansion Act — which appears on the ballot as “Contributions to the Housing Fund” — the measure crafted by developers, labor leaders, and the Mayor will actually dedicate resources for the construction of affordable housing in San Francisco. That measure would grow the city’s annual affordable housing investment from roughly $52 million to $125 million a year, funded by future property tax growth, without cutting a single city service or defunding a single first responder.
The announcement comes just days after the City Controller concluded that Prop I would shift $120 million a year out of the general fund, while decreasing city revenue.
San Francisco Firefighters Local 798, SFPOA, and Mayor Lurie urge San Franciscans to vote NO on Proposition I and YES on Proposition C this November — and to protect the budget that keeps this city safe.
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