Welcome back to our “Meet the Candidates” series, where District 2 supervisor candidates respond to a question in 100 words or fewer. Answers are published every Tuesday.
District 2 covers neighborhoods in the north of the city including the Presidio, the Marina, Cow Hollow, Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, and portions of the Western Addition and North of the Panhandle.
The race for District 2 isn’t the only thing on June’s ballot. There will also be a ballot box showdown between two competing tax measures.
One is Proposition D, dubbed the “CEO Tax.” Put on the ballot by some of San Francisco’s labor unions, this measure increases taxes on businesses whose CEOs earn 100 times more than the median employee at their company.
It’s expected to raise around $300 million per year for the city — money that the city could use to help plug its billion-dollar budget deficit.
But the Chamber of Commerce, a coalition of S.F. business owners, is skeptical of the tax. They worry that increasing taxes just one election cycle after they were decreased in 2024 will make it harder to attract businesses to the city, hurting its economic recovery.
To try and undermine the CEO tax, the Chamber of Commerce has put its own measure, Proposition C, on the ballot. Prop. C largely keeps the city’s current tax system in place. It moves a small planned business tax increase up from 2028 to 2027, and increases the small business exemption from $5 million to $7.5 million in gross receipts.
Though the majority of the Board of Supervisors — including typical allies of the mayor — have gotten behind the CEO tax, Mayor Daniel Lurie has opposed both measures.
“Dueling proposals that produce longer, more confusing ballots reward division over consensus,” Lurie said.
This week, appointed supervisor Stephen Sherrill also came out in opposition to the CEO tax, saying that San Francisco’s gross receipts tax “contributed to closures of neighborhood-serving businesses like grocery stores and pharmacies.”
He declined to express support for the competing measure, only saying that he was “open” to it.
Lori Brooke dodged the question.
“We need to be careful not to discourage investment or job growth,” she said.
This week’s question: Do you support the CEO tax? If not, do you support the Chamber of Commerce’s competing measure?
Mission Local color codes the answers to yes/no questions. A blue background means the candidate answered yes, an orange background means no, and a yellow background means that the candidate dodged the question.
Stephen Sherrill
Job: Appointed District 2 Supervisor
Age: 39
Residency: Homeowner, has lived in District 2 since 2015
Transportation: Driving, public transportation, biking
Education: Bachelor’s degree from Yale University
Languages: English
I’m very concerned about Prop. D. We’ve already seen how San Francisco’s gross-receipts tax has contributed to closures of neighborhood-serving businesses like grocery stores and pharmacies, and we need to be careful not to accelerate that trend.
It could also undermine downtown recovery and make us less competitive with nearby cities.
We just passed Prop. M in 2024, and I don’t think it’s good policy to revisit major tax changes so quickly. I’m more open to Prop. C, given its small-business focus, but overall I believe we need to maintain a more thoughtful, long-term approach to tax policy.
Endorsed by: Mayor Daniel Lurie, GrowSF, Nor Cal Carpenters Union, San Francisco Police Officers Association, SF YIMBY, Northern Neighbors … read more here.
Lori Brooke
Job: President, Cow Hollow Association
Age: 62
Residency: Homeowner, moved to the district 31 years ago
Transportation: Driving and walking
Education: Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara
Languages: English
I understand the intent behind Proposition D to generate additional revenue, but I have concerns about significantly increasing business taxes while San Francisco is still recovering economically.
We need to be careful not to discourage investment or job growth. My focus is on finding a balanced approach that protects essential services, supports working people, and ensures long-term economic stability for San Francisco without creating unintended economic impacts.
See Brooke’s full response here.
Endorsed by: Former District 2 Supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier, former State Senator and Supervisor Quentin Kopp, AFT 2121, Local 38 (#2) … read more here.
Candidates are ordered alphabetically and rotated each week. Answers may be lightly edited for formatting, spelling, and grammar. If you have questions for the candidates, please let us know at io@missionlocal.com.
You can register to vote via the sf.gov website.