Budget committee advances departmental reductions, forwards grant, patient-rate ordinance and SB1 paving list to full Board

The Budget and Appropriation Committee of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors met June 21 to continue its review of the city’s two‑year budget. Chair Supervisor Connie Chan said departments returned to answer committee questions and that the Budget & Legislative Analyst (BLA) would present recommended reductions; she reminded the public that comment on the proposed budget (items 1 and 2) will be taken June 26 at 10 a.m. in the chamber.

Across a day of departmental presentations the committee largely accepted BLA reductions while reserving policy questions for the full Board. Dan Goncher of the BLA summarized cuts for multiple departments, including $805,491 in recommended reductions to the Department of Human Resources in FY2023–24 (about $438,923 ongoing) and technical adjustments across other departments. DHR Director Eisen said the department “agree[d] with the changes to our budget a little reluctantly” and flagged that most changes would affect the EEO division rather than frontline employment services.

Controller Ben Rosenfield urged the committee not to eliminate a proposed manager‑level position that would create a recurring SF Budget Academy to train newly hired financial staff; Rosenfield said the city is confronting a staffing challenge “that affects city services” and described the need for training as new staff come into finance roles. The committee treated such reclassifications and new manager‑level positions as policy matters for the full Board to consider.

The committee acted on several discrete agenda items. It moved items 6 and 7 — a retroactive Department of Public Health grant increase from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance program (roughly $1.2 million in added funds for a total of about $2.2 million for calendar 2023) and an ordinance amending the health code to set patient and other service rates for FY2023–24 and FY2024–25 — to the July 11 full Board with a positive recommendation; Chair Chan noted a verbal presentation from Miranda Tate of the national surveillance team. The committee also voted to forward item 4 (a resolution concurring with the Controller’s certification that certain services could be performed by private contractors) and item 5 (the public‑works list of road maintenance projects funded by Senate Bill 1) to the full Board with recommendations.

Bruce Robertson, CFO for Public Works, described the SB1 requirement and the projects proposed: the city plans to program about $30.4 million in SB1 funds to repave 172 blocks as part of a larger $77 million paving program, and Robertson warned that failure to approve the SB1 project list risks reallocation of those funds by the state controller’s office. The committee generally agreed with BLA adjustments to Public Works’ budget while declining one BLA policy recommendation to reclassify a recently vacant area‑supervisor position.

On item 3 the committee adopted amendments worked out with the City Attorney to require the City Administrator to prepare an annual list of contract‑related reports and submit it to the Board by July 31; the committee passed the amendment and then forwarded the ordinance, as amended, to the full Board. Chair Chan said the annual list is intended to give supervisors visibility into what contract monitoring and risk reports are available.

Public comment was limited during the hearing. A speaker in the chamber expressed confusion and frustration during multiple public‑comment opportunities but no remote callers participated in the public‑comment queues called for the items discussed that day.

Procedurally, the committee confirmed that items 3–7 were complete and moved items 1, 2 and 8–17 to be considered at the committee’s next session on June 22 at 10 a.m. The committee recessed and will reconvene June 22 at 10 a.m.

Votes at a glance: the committee voted unanimously in favor of forwarding items 6 & 7 to the July 11 full Board (motion moved by Chair Connie Chan, seconded by Supervisor Shamon Walton; 5 ayes); unanimously forwarded item 4 (5 ayes); adopted amendments to item 3 and forwarded item 3 as amended (5 ayes); and forwarded item 5 (SB1 project list) to the full Board (5 ayes). The committee also approved a motion to consider items 1, 2, and 8–17 at the June 22 meeting and recessed until 10 a.m. June 22.

What’s next: public comment on the proposed budget (items 1 and 2) will start June 26 at 10 a.m.; the items the committee forwarded will appear on the Board agenda July 11 for final action or further debate.