Supervisors weigh using Free City College reserve to clear student fees; BLA calls it a policy decision

Supervisor Connie Chan convened the June 22 hearing of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, which included a wide-ranging review of departmental budgets and BLA recommendations. One of the largest policy exchanges focused on a DCYF proposal to use part of the Free City College reserve to pay outstanding student fees.

DCYF said that Free City is a partnership between City College and the city that pays tuition for San Francisco residents. The department asked the committee to allow $2,000,000 of a roughly $6,000,000 reserve to "relieve outstanding student fees," which DCYF said could clear debts for "upwards of 13,500 City College students" and help re-enroll students in classes.

Dan Goncher of the Budget and Legislative Analyst's office summarized the technical reductions for several departments, and Christine Martin of the BLA addressed the Free City proposal directly: "This use of funds is not provided for in the current MOU," she said, adding that paying off unpaid fees regardless of students' intent to reenroll would function as a subsidy to City College and therefore is a policy matter for the Board.

Supervisor Hilary Ronan and Vice Chair Rafael Mendelmann voiced support for using the reserve to clear delinquency fees. Ronan framed the proposal as a measure that could increase access to education: "This is one of the most amazing things that we've ever done here in San Francisco," she said in support of the Free City initiative. Several supervisors asked BLA and DCYF staff for clarifications on the reserve balance and how the mayor's budget had already assumed some of the funds for the general fund; committee exchanges established that roughly $4,000,000 of the reserve had been assumed in the mayor's proposed budget and $2,000,000 was being proposed to support students.

The committee did not adopt a final disposition at the June 22 hearing; members and staff said they would continue the policy conversation, and the item remained on the agenda for further action at subsequent hearings.