Should the proposed charter amendment be approved by the voters, in my opinion, it would not in and of itself affect the cost of government. The proposal would remove the current reference in the Charter limiting each member of the Board of Supervisor to two staff aides. In effect, the number of staff for the members of the Board of Supervisors would become subject to the normal budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Charter through which annual budgets are proposed by the Mayor and revised and approved by the Board of Supervisors.

Currently, each of the eleven members of the Board of Supervisors is authorized to have two staff members. The legislative aide job classification currently in use for these staff pays from $69,500 to $93,100 annually and the total cost of the 22 positions is approximately $2.3 million annually including salary and benefits.

On August 5, 2008 the Board of Supervisors voted 9 to 2 to place Proposition B on the ballot.

The Supervisors voted as follows:

Yes: Supervisors Alioto-Pier, Ammiano, Daly, Dufty, Maxwell, McGoldrick, Mirkarimi, Peskin and Sandoval.

No: Supervisors Chu and Elsbernd.