Explicit preamble language for SF Charter
Preamble to the 1996 Charter of the City and County of San Francisco with sample edits in bold italics
We, the people of the City and County of San Francisco, ordain and establish this Charter as the fundamental law of the City and County.
In order to obtain the full benefit of home rule granted by the Constitution of the State of California; to improve the quality of urban life; to encourage the participation of all persons and all sectors in the affairs of the City and County; to enable municipal government to meet the needs of the people effectively and efficiently; to provide for accountability and ethics in public service; to foster social harmony and cohesion; and to assure equality of opportunity for every resident:
And in recognition that a thriving, inclusive, and equitable San Francisco must:
Ensure affordability, stability, cultural belonging, and meaningful participation for all who call the city home;
Uphold a balanced, fair, and effective City government that serves public well-being civic participation;
Guarantee transparency, sustainability, and community engagement as foundations of public trust;
Protect and strengthen the public realm as shared space for health, recreation, cultural expression, and civic identity;
Provide housing affordable to working people across a broad range of incomes below the area median income;
Support public-administered financial innovation, sustainable local economies, and economic systems that meet community needs;
Advance educational access and inquiry, arts and cultural expression, and public-interest technology;
Ensure transit reliability, safe mobility, and the development of municipal power as essential to long-term vitality and resilience;
Promote public health, strong workforce pathways, and fair, transparent civil and criminal justice systems;
Uphold robust consumer and civil rights protections for residents, workers, and small businesses;
Strengthen emergency response, climate resilience, and environmental stewardship to safeguard current and future generations;
And evaluate government performance through clear goals and measurable outcomes grounded in human dignity, racial and economic equity, and the ability of residents and neighborhoods to thrive.
Therefore, we affirm that charter reform and governance must be guided by the values of:
affordability, transparency, equity, educational access and inquiry, cultural vitality, environmental stewardship, community-centered development, democratic participation, and protection of the public realm and future generations—so that all who live, work, and contribute to San Francisco may flourish in a city rooted in dignity, belonging, and shared responsibility.
We, the people of the City and County of San Francisco, ordain and establish this Charter as the fundamental law of the City and County.