SAN FRANCISCO — Although the second of two measures to regulate growth in San Francisco was close to failing, as the first one did on election night, those for and against Proposition L said it sent a message that voters want change in how the city handles growth.
The last count, taken Monday afternoon, had Proposition L trailing by 1,500 votes. Elections officials said they underestimated the number of votes left to be counted and there are still 10,000 ballots remaining. About 6,500 provisional ballots have been discarded due to identification problems, election officials said.
They expect to complete the count within the next two days.
The measure appeared to pass on election night, but absentee and provisional ballots turned the results around. While neither side was sure what it would do next, the issue of regulating business growth in the city will not go away.
Proposition L was an anti-growth initiative put on the ballot by artists and activists who feel Mayor Willie Brown has done little to tame the Internet economy's impact on the city. Developers backed by Brown poured in more than $2 million to defeat the proposition.
The proposition prompted Brown to put a less-stringent growth-control measure, Proposition K, on the ballot. It overwhelmingly was defeated. "Mayor Brown clearly understands that the people of San Francisco are concerned about growth issues," he said. Johnston said the mayor would not challenge Proposition L if it passed.
L supporters have said they may take their case to court if the prop fails.
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