Budget and Appropriations Committee Special Meeting - June 16, 2023
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Budget and Appropriations Committee Special Meeting - June 16, 2023
The Budget and Appropriations Committee, chaired by Supervisor Connie Chan, met on Friday, June 16, 2023, to review the proposed budgets for fiscal years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 for multiple city departments. The meeting included presentations from the Fire Department, City Attorney, Superior Court, Department of the Environment, Law Library, Public Library, Civil Service Commission, Rent Board, Department of Emergency Management, Juvenile Probation, Adult Probation, Sheriff's Office, Office of Police Accountability, Sheriff's Office Inspector General, Public Defender, District Attorney, and Police Department. Public comment was heard on the overall budget and salary ordinances.
Consent Calendar
- Items 3 and 4 were moved to the full Board of Supervisors with recommendations. Item 3 (Resolution to accept a grant from Friends of the San Francisco Public Library up to $1,030,400 for FY2023-2024) passed unanimously. Item 4 (Ordinance amending EMS fees and health codes) passed unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Multiple speakers urged the committee to reject the proposed $62 million increase for the Police Department, arguing that funds should be redirected to housing, food security, youth programs, and other community services. Several speakers referenced the death of Banco Brown and called for divestment from policing.
- Speakers supported funding for the Department of Environment's climate equity hub, the City Attorney's gun violence restraining order work, and the Sheriff's Department's longevity pay for deputies.
- A representative from the Deputy Sheriff's Association requested retention incentives similar to those given to the Police Department.
- Community members expressed frustration with the budget process and the perceived lack of attention from committee members during public comment.
Discussion Items
- Fire Department (Chief Jeanine Nicholson): Presented a budget of $511.8 million for FY23-24 and $526.7 million for FY24-25. Noted 90% of the budget is for salaries and benefits. Discussed increasing call volume (16% above pre-pandemic levels), street crisis teams, overtime management, and challenges with equipment costs (e.g., fire engines now $900,000 vs. $500,000 pre-COVID). Chief Pang noted that street crisis teams have only one shelter bed available after 5 p.m. and highlighted the need for same-day treatment placements.
- City Attorney (David Chiu): Presented a budget request including four new positions for CARE Court implementation (a state mandate). Requested an add-back of $500,000 to make a temporary gun violence restraining order position permanent. Noted that the office has seized firearms from dangerous individuals, including one case involving a mentally ill person with bomb-making materials.
- Superior Court (Brandon Riley): Presented a budget of $9.9 million for indigent defense administration. Supervisor Ronan raised concerns about court delays and violations of defendants' due process rights. The court executive officer declined to comment due to pending litigation.
- Department of the Environment (Tyrone Jue): Presented a balanced budget, noting that grants make up 27% of funding. Highlighted climate action plan goals and recent audit compliance.
- Public Library (Michael Lambert): Presented a budget that includes $19.8 million for the Ocean View Branch Library project and $3 million for the Mission Branch renovation. Supervisor Safai expressed concern about continued spending on alternative sites for the Ocean View Library and requested that the project balance be placed on reserve.
- Civil Service Commission (Sandra Ng): Presented a budget with a 5% reduction, including a freeze on a vacant senior clerk typist position, reducing the team from six to five. The department cited challenges in meeting hiring demands and technology needs.
- Rent Board (Christina Varner): Presented a budget of $17.7 million for FY23-24, noting that all 50 budgeted positions are filled or in active recruitment. Highlighted language access services and the role of rent control in preserving affordable housing.
- Department of Emergency Management (Mary Ellen Carroll): Presented a budget of $139 million, with 70% from the general fund. Discussed the 911 center's staffing challenges (only 70% of calls answered within 10 seconds) and the coordination of street crisis teams. Introduced the Drug Market Agency Coordination Center (DMAC) with a proposed budget of $5.5 million.
- Juvenile Probation (Director Miller): Presented a budget reflecting a 32% reduction in probation division staff and a 22% reduction in juvenile hall staff over the past four years. Noted increased referrals and admissions since 2021, and that 52% of youth on probation do not have a San Francisco address. Discussed the impact of the state's closure of DJJ and the need for alternative facility plans.
- Adult Probation (Chief Christelle Tulach): Presented a budget of $58.5 million for FY24, with $15 million in grants to community-based organizations. Noted that 73% of the 5,000 probation cases are in suspended status, and the department is working to fill 23 vacancies.
- Sheriff's Office (Undersheriff Catherine Johnson): Presented a budget of $289 million from the general fund. Stated the department is 185 deputies short and is deploying an Emergency Services Unit to the Tenderloin and SoMa areas to address drug sales and use. Requested an add-back of $457,000 for pretrial services. Discussed the impact of the lack of longevity pay for deputies.
- Office of Police Accountability (Director Paul Henderson): Presented a budget just under $10 million, with 80% for salaries. Requested support for an admin code change to allow pursuit of grant funds. Highlighted the department's language access improvements and the need for additional resources as police and sheriff operations increase.
- Sheriff's Office Inspector General (Dan Leo): Presented a budget with a $552,000 reduction in salary and benefits. Noted that all positions are vacant except the executive secretary, and requested restoration of funds to allow the new inspector general to begin operations.
- Public Defender (Mano Rajun): Presented a budget of $49 million, noting that the office is 57% of the District Attorney's budget. Highlighted rising caseloads, trial delays, and the need for additional staff for clean slate and immigration work. Discussed the structural inequity in funding within the criminal legal system.
- District Attorney (Brooke Jenkins): Presented a budget of $89.8 million for FY24, with 89% from the general fund. Noted caseloads of 110 cases per attorney in preliminary hearings and 70 in general felonies. Discussed the Crankstart Foundation grant for the Healing Justice Initiative and the need for a dedicated attorney for retail theft.
- Police Department (Chief Bill Scott): Presented a budget of $661 million for FY24, up from $606 million. Stated the department is short-staffed and relying on overtime. Outlined recruitment goals (100 officers in FY24) and plans for civilianization, fleet modernization, and equipment like license plate readers and TrueNarc analyzers. President Peskin questioned the size of the command staff, and Chief Scott defended the structure.
Key Outcomes
- Items 1 and 2 (Budget and Salary Ordinances) were continued to the June 21, 2023, special meeting for further review.
- Item 3 (Friends of the Library grant) was recommended to the full Board of Supervisors (passed 5-0).
- Item 4 (EMS fees ordinance) was recommended to the full Board of Supervisors (passed 5-0).
- Multiple departments were asked to provide additional information before their second appearances, including breakdowns of overtime spending, staffing structures, and program details.
Meeting Transcript
You are unmuted. Good morning. The meeting will come to order. Welcome to the June 16 meeting of the budget and appropriation committee. I'm Supervisor Connie Chan, Chair of the Committee. I'm joined by Vice Chair Rafael Mendelman and Supervisors Hillary Ronin and Shaman Walton. Our click today is John Carroll. I would like to thank James Kawana for from SFGao TV for broadcasting this meeting. Mr. Clerk, do you have any announcement? Thank you, Madam Chair. Reminder to those in attendance, please make sure to silence your cell phones and electronic devices so as not to interrupt the proceedings here in the chamber. The Board of Supervisors and its committees are convening hybrid meetings that allow in-person attendance and public comment while still providing remote access and public comment via telephone. Public comment will be taken on each item on today's agenda. Those attending in person will be allowed to speak first, and then we will hear from those who are waiting on our telephone public comment line. For those watching remotely and streaming through sfgovtv.org, the public comment call-in number is streaming across the screen at this time. When you're connected, you will hear the meeting discussions, but you will be muted and in listening mode only. When your item of interest comes up and public comment is called, those joining us in person should line up to speak here in the chamber. And those on the telephone should dial star three to be added to the speaker line. If you are on your telephone, please remember to uh turn down the volume on your television, your computer, your listening devices, your streaming devices, whatever you may be using to access today's proceedings that will prevent us from having any issues with echo, and we will be able to hear you here in the chamber. Each speaker will be allowed up to two minutes to speak unless otherwise stated by the chair. Alternatively, you may submit your public comment in writing in either of the following ways. You may email them to the budget and appropriations committee clerk. His name is Brent Halipa, and his email address is B-R-E-N-T.jal I P A at SFGO V dot O R G. Or you may send your written comments via U.S. Postal Service to our office in City Hall. That is the clerk's office, room 244. City Hall's address is one Dr. Carlton B. Goodlit Place, San Francisco, California, 94102. If you submit comments in writing, either by US Post or by email, either Brent or myself will add your comments to the matter on which you are commenting, and we will also forward the commentary to the members of the budget appropriations committee for their consideration. For our hearings this week, we are working with intergraphics to provide interpretive services during public comment for speakers of Spanish and Chinese. Today we are working with Flora Wong and Carlos Radillo. And we also have with us Raymond Boris from the Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs to provide services for interpretation of speakers who speak Filipino. Starting with Flora and Carlos, could we please receive comment instructions in language? You have been unmuted. Manget Pong Star 3 Part of Massama Sahana in the Malamoxasalita. You have raised your hand. You have been unmuted. Thank you. Thank you all very much. Thank you for your services today. Madam Chair, that completes our announcements. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. And before you call item number one, uh I will just giving the number of uh trailing legislation accompanying city department's budget uh this week. Uh I would like to remind everyone how we have run hearings this week. We will be taking budget presentation from the departments in the order listed on the agenda. Some departments have additional legislation tied to their department budgets called trailing legislation, which is on today's agenda as items three and four. I will call those items along with the departments responsible for those legislation.
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