In February of 2025, the Policy Division of the Ethics Commission prioritized a review of the City’s rules regarding major developers, campaign consultants, recusals, expenditure limits for candidates receiving public funds, and the reporting requirements for candidates in trustee elections. The purpose of this project is to assess whether these programs are effective, efficient, and help realize the Commission’s mission to promote the highest standards of integrity in City government. The Commission’s work includes regular evaluation of whether programs are achieving their intended goals, operating efficiently, and continuing to provide meaningful value to the public.
This policy project is currently in progress. Additional updates and analysis are forthcoming, and the items will return to the Commission for further action in the near future.
The programs and policies under review:
- Major Developer Program: San Francisco imposes reporting requirements on developers of certain City real estate projects with an estimated construction cost of more than $1,000,000. These developers must file an initial report and four quarterly reports with the Ethics Commission disclosing donations to non-profit organizations that have contacted City officials about their project. These requirements are from Section 3.500, et seq of the San Francsico Campaign & Governmental Conduct Code (C&GCC) and its supporting regulations.
- Campaign Consultant Program: San Francisco requires campaign consultants to register and file various reports regarding their activities. These requirements are per Section 1.500, et seq. of the C&GCC and its supporting regulations.
- Supplemental Recusal Notification: Members of City boards and commissions who have a financial conflict of interest in a matter are required to recuse themselves from discussing or voting on the matter per Section 3.209(a) of the C&GCC and its supporting regulations. This requirement is consistent with State law, however the City then requires those who reuse to file a supplemental recusal notification per Section 3.209(b) of the C&GCC.
- Trustee Election Filings: Per San Francisco Administrative Code §16.550, et seq., all candidates for trustee positions on the Retirement Board, Health Service Board, or Retiree Health Care Trust Fund Board, are required to register and file periodic disclosures with the Ethics Commission.
- Expenditure Ceilings for Public Financing: Candidates who are participating in the City’s Public Financing Program are currently required to agree to abide by an Individual Expenditure Ceiling (IEC), which limits their overall spending. The IEC is often raised many times over the course of an election and adjustments are made incrementally for each candidate, following a detailed analysis of spending in the race by Ethics Commission Staff. These requirements are specified in Section 1.100, et seq. of the C&GCC and its supporting regulations.
Additionally, this project is also making recommendations regarding:
- Campaign Contribution Limit Adjustments: San Francisco currently limits campaign contributions to $500. This limit has not been adjusted since it was created in 2000.
- Campaign Advertising Disclosure Requirement Changes: State law will soon require the Ethics Commission website to change to a “.gov” domain. This will require updates to City law, which currently requires certain disclaimers direct people to sfethics.org.
Links Related to this Policy Project
Interested Persons Meeting Announcements to Discuss:
- Potential Changes to City Rules Regarding Major Developers, Campaign Consultants, Recusals, and Other Programs – 03/11/2025 and 03/13/2025
Staff Reports & Resources:
- Streamlining Project Preview – 6/13/2025
- Presentation: 2025 Streamlining Project Presentation
- Streamlining Project Preview: Independent Expenditure Ceiling – 6/13/2025
- Presentation: IEC Streamlining Project Preview Presentation
Key Commission Meetings:
- June 13th, 2025: Presentation, discussion and possible action on a preview of recommendations that Staff are developing regarding various programs and policies administered by the Ethics Commission. The Commission authorized the Chair to sign a letter on behalf of the Commission to the Board of Supervisors regarding legislative changes to the trustee election disclosure requirements. (Agenda | Minutes | Summary)
For updates on this policy project, subscribe to the Commission’s meeting notices and agendas by joining our Interested Persons E-mail List. Additionally, all policy and legislative items the Ethics Commission considers are posted to an agenda prior to the public meeting in which they are discussed and acted upon.
Please contact Policy and Legislative Affairs Manager Michael Canning at Michael.A.Canning@sfgov.org for more information about this project or the Commission’s policy efforts.