Committee grills mayor’s office and departments on $62M overtime supplemental; ordinance continued to April 26

The Budget and Finance Committee on April 19 reviewed an ordinance that would reallocate salary dollars and appropriate additional revenue to cover projected overtime costs across several city departments for fiscal year 2022–23.

Budget Director (Mayor’s Office) explained the ordinance frames shifting roughly $49.5 million from permanent salaries into overtime budgets for six departments, with additional appropriations for ambulance revenue and materials and supplies in the Fire Department. A late, substantive amendment circulated the morning of the hearing would increase some transfers and add Recreation & Park (moving $1,050,000 from permanent salaries to overtime) and adjust transfers for DPH, PUC and DPW.

Nick Menard of the Budget and Legislative Analyst (BLA) told supervisors the ordinance moves $4.2 million in ambulance revenue, deappropriates about $49.5 million from permanent salaries and primarily moves that funding into overtime; the BLA noted Department of Public Health’s new overtime budget is about 24% higher than the previous year, largely because of vacant nursing positions and hospital staffing demands.

Supervisors pressed staff on whether the supplemental reflects chronic understaffing or temporary emergency response, and what hiring strategies will reduce overtime over time. Supervisor Asha Safai asked for programmatic approaches to hiring and pipeline improvements; DPH and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital officials said census is running about 6% higher than planned (roughly 18 patients per day) and cited longer lengths of stay and placement shortages for behavioral health and skilled‑nursing patients. SFPUC and Public Works representatives said a very unusual winter storm season and specific incidents (including barges coming loose near the Third Street Bridge) drove higher overtime for storm and infrastructure response. The PUC reported an enterprise vacancy rate near 25% and says storm response and vacancies together pushed overtime increases.

Public comment included support for appropriately funding overtime and one speaker’s suggestion to create a coordinated volunteer corps. Committee members acknowledged the need to both fund essential overtime and pursue hiring and adaptive staffing strategies. Because the circulated amendment was substantive and required evaluation — particularly the Recreation & Park change and DPH numbers — the chair continued the ordinance to the April 26 Budget & Finance hearing and amended the ordinance to add Rec & Park and adjust totals; staff said the BLA will review the amended numbers and return with analysis.

The committee’s action preserved the committee’s ability to adjust the ordinance after further BLA review; the Chair noted additional departmental follow‑up and that items acted on today are likely to appear before the full Board on April 25 unless continued.