Grocery Affordability Push Stalls at City Hall as Mahmoud Pivots

The San Francisco Rules Committee moved briskly through seven commission reappointments Monday but hit a political wall on food policy — tabling Supervisor Mahmoud's twin grocery affordability proposals after he acknowledged the votes had slipped away. The defeat sets up a legislative pivot: Mahmoud announced a new package of grocery-access measures for the next day, while community advocates alleged corporate pressure killed the original bills.

• Supervisor Mahmoud's Affordable Groceries Act — a new fund and a vacancy tax on "zombie stores" — tabled 3-0 after losing votes at Budget Committee
• Tenderloin advocate alleges Amazon/Whole Foods pressured the mayor's office to kill the grocery vacancy tax
• Board of Appeals president reports appeals down 50% from 10-year average, citing state and local legislation
• PUC President Joshua Arce reappointed, touting $12.5 billion capital plan and ratepayer affordability
• Planning Commissioner Lydia So advances as committee report, praised for Stonestown approval and Cantonese community engagement

Supervisor Mahmoud brought two linked proposals he branded the Affordable Groceries Act: an Affordable Grocery Fund (file 260694) to subsidize corner store conversions, fund grocery build-outs, and purchase property for affordable grocery leasing, and an excise tax (files 260693/260823) targeting large corporations holding former grocery stores and pharmacies vacant — what he called "zombie stores."