cA ballot measure to increase the minimum number of San Francisco police officers is now reportedly facing opposition from the politician who proposed it.
Matt Dorsey, member of the City of San Francisco Board of Supervisors, started an opposition campaign against Proposition B, a measure that would expand the city’s police force through a future tax measure, according to Axios.
Dorsey had originally proposed the change, according to the outlet.
The proposal, called Proposition B, cites issues with chronic understaffing in the police department and a large number of officers currently eligible for retirement as reasons for the changes.
The proposal will be voted on March 5th, Axios reported. It is reportedly aimed at swelling the ranks of the city’s police department, seeking to raise the minimum number to 2,074 over the next five years. Among other measures included in Proposition B is a $75,000 signing bonus for new hires, according to the outlet.
The prospective cost was estimated by the Controller’s Office to be anywhere from $120 million to $300 million, the outlet reported. In order to pay for the expenses, an amendment was reportedly passed to increase the fiscal burden to city taxpayers in the form of a “cop tax,” pending a new ballot measure to define the tax. (RELATED: San Francisco Mayor Becomes Latest California Dem Supporting Ballot Measure To Stiffen Penalties For Retail Crimes)
Dorsey withdrew support after passage of the new amendment, claiming the addition of the new amendment was a “poison pill,” according to the outlet. He then reportedly started an opposition campaign to the measure called “No on B, Stop the Cop Tax.”
“Prop B is a “Cop tax” scheme — requiring a future tax hike before S.F. can set minimum SFPD staffing — but it’s now being sold as a public safety measure. And it’s not!” Dorsey argued in a post on Twitter. He then challenged his colleague, Ahsha Safai, to debate the topic in the post.
Prop B is a “Cop Tax” scheme — requiring a future tax hike before S.F. can set minimum SFPD staffing — but it’s now being sold as a public safety measure. And it’s not!
So, I’m challenging Sup. @Ahsha_Safai to debate me to defend his deceptive mess of a ballot measure. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/PDCyTYDXCA
— Matt Dorsey (@mattdorsey) February 15, 2024
Supporters of Proposition B have pointed out the city’s need to hire more police officers, without it being at the expense of other necessary jobs such as firefighters, The San Francisco Standard reported.
The mayor of San Francisco, London Breed, joined the opposition against the ballot measure, according to Axios.
San Francisco has recently pushed for federal taxpayers to help pick up the bill on the $423 million they spent on the homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic, where they spent an average of $86,000 for each homeless person, data reported by the San Francisco Chronicle showed, the Daily Caller News Foundation previously reported.
The office of Supervisor Matt Dorsey did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller’s request for comment.