Newsom, supervisors may be near showdown

After exercising his veto power sparingly in the first two years of his administration, Mayor Gavin Newsom could reject as many as three prominent pieces of legislation in the coming months.

Newsom is poised to shoot down at least one and probably two ordinances on the politically sensitive issue of condominium conversions that have been authored by Newsom's most vocal critic on the Board of Supervisors, Chris Daly.

The companion ordinances would create two new requirements: that hearings be held at the Planning Commission for condo conversions of two or more units, and that owners trying to sell their property disclose during open houses if anyone was evicted and if they were disabled, elderly or catastrophically ill.

Tenant rights groups said the controversial ordinances are an important check on the recent surge in condo conversions, which they say has led to unfair evictions. Opponents, meanwhile, say the proposals would make what is an extremely bureaucratic process even more unwieldy. The Board of Supervisors approved the disclosure ordinance Tuesday and will vote on the hearing ordinance next week.

Newsom plans to veto the hearing ordinance if it passes and is leaning toward vetoing the disclosure ordinance as well.

Newsom has another ordinance authored by a progressive supervisor in his sights — legislation sponsored by Supervisor Tom Ammiano that would require businesses with 20 or more employees to pay roughly $4,000 a year into a health care account for each employee who works 80 or more hours a month.

Newsom spokesman Peter Ragone said the mayor can't support the ordinance in its current form because it would be too harmful to small businesses.

“We all understand that health care for every San Franciscan is an important goal,” Ragone said. “It has to be done in a way that allows us to strike a balance between health care and the interests of small businesses.”

E-mail: jjouvenal@examiner.com