THE WAY IT IS NOW: The City regulates general advertising signs on street furniture, which includes transit shelters, kiosks, public toilets, benches and newspaper racks, and other structures on public sidewalks and places. The City contracts with private companies to provide public facilities such as toilets and transit shelters and authorizes those companies to sell advertising space on or around these facilities.

In 2002, San Francisco voters adopted an ordinance amending the Planning Code to prohibit new general advertising signs on all buildings in the City, including City-owned buildings.

In 2007, the voters adopted a declaration of policy that the City not increase the number of general advertising signs on street furniture above the number authorized by City law and City contracts as of July 1, 2007.

THE PROPOSAL: Proposition E would prohibit an increase in the number of general advertising signs on street furniture above the number authorized by City law and contracts as of January 1, 2008 (rather than July 1, 2007). This proposition would make the declaration of policy adopted in 2007 into City law.

Proposition E would also add to the Administrative Code the statement from the Planning Code that new general advertising signs are prohibited on all buildings in the City. It also specifies that the prohibition applies to City-owned buildings. 

A “YES” VOTE MEANS: If you vote "yes," you want to prohibit an increase in the number of general advertising signs on street furniture above the number allowed by City law and contracts as of January 1, 2008, and specifically prohibit new general advertising signs on City-owned buildings.

Propositions D and E concern the same subject matter. If both measures are adopted by the voters, and if there is a conflict between provisions of the two measures, then some or all of the measure approved by fewer votes would not go into effect.

This measure requires 50%+1 affirmative votes to pass.