SEC. 4.134. SMALL BUSINESS COMMISSION.
§ 4.134
A seven-member Small Business Commission oversees the San Francisco Office of Small Business, appointed by the Mayor (four members) and Board of Supervisors (three members). At least five members must be owners, operators, or officers of San Francisco small businesses, with initial staggered terms of two or four years and subsequent members serving four-year terms.
San Francisco has a Small Business Commission with seven members who watch over the city's Office of Small Business. The Mayor picks four members and the Board of Supervisors picks three. Most members (at least five) must actually own or run small businesses in San Francisco. The first commissioners serve either two or four years (staggered), and after that everyone serves four-year terms. The city tries to pick commissioners from different neighborhoods and representing different kinds of businesses.
- Complex:Subsection (b) includes boilerplate language about Government Code Section 87103 and conflict-of-interest law that, while legally important, may confuse readers about the practical composition requirements.
- Controversial:Requiring commission members to represent specific industries and interests (rather than the public at large) raises questions about whether this structure serves broader city interests or primarily industry interests.
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Official text
(a) There shall be a Small Business Commission to oversee the San Francisco Office of Small Business. The Commission shall consist of seven members, who shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. The Mayor shall appoint four members of the Commission; the Board of Supervisors shall appoint the remaining three members. The Mayor shall designate two of his or her initial appointments to serve for two-year terms; the Board of Supervisors shall designate one of its initial appointments to serve a two-year term. Thereafter, all commissioners shall serve for four-year terms.
(b) At least five of the individuals appointed to the Commission shall be owners, operators, or officers of San Francisco small businesses. One of the individuals appointed to the Commission may be either a current or former owner, operator, or officer of a San Francisco small business. One member of the Commission may be an officer or representative of a neighborhood economic development organization or an expert in small business finance.
Pursuant to Government Code Section 87103, individuals appointed to the Commission under this Section are intended to represent and further the interest of the particular industries, trades, or professions specified herein. Accordingly, it is found that for purposes of persons who hold such office, the specified industries, trades, or professions are tantamount to and constitute the public generally within the meaning of Government Code Section 87103.
(c) The Mayor and the Board of Supervisors shall select Commission members who reflect the diversity of neighborhood and small business interests in the City.
(Added November 2003)