San Francisco Mayor Seeks to Retool Bond Measure to Aid Recovery

(Bloomberg) -- San Francisco Mayor London Breed said she wants to place a $438.5 million bond measure before voters in November to spur job growth in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and to bolster mental health and substance abuse services.

Her proposal calls for spending $197 million on substance abuse treatment facilities, $200 million for parks and recreation, and $41.5 million for shovel-ready public infrastructure projects such as paving roads, bike lanes, and curb ramps.

“We not only can build a safe space for our residents but we can invest in jobs, and in putting San Francisco back to work, because these projects are shovel ready,” Breed told the Board of Supervisors Tuesday.

Breed late last year had asked the city’s capital planning committee to replace a parks bond measure already under consideration for the November ballot with a proposal that spent more on mental health services. She said Tuesday the needs have further changed with an estimated 100,000 San Franciscans filing jobless claims because of the coronavirus pandemic that has shuttered large swaths of the U.S. economy.

“These items aren’t flashy, but they keep our city working, they keep the city running, and they ensure that we’re able to deliver basic services in every corner,” she said.

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