Budget and Appropriations Committee Hearing on Youth Commission Budget Priorities - March 19, 2025
STREAMING COPY IN PREPARATION — RECORDING AVAILABLE FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE
Budget and Appropriations Committee Hearing on Youth Commission Budget Priorities - March 19, 2025
The Budget and Appropriations Committee (Chair Connie Chan, Supervisors Shamann Walton, Joel Engardio, and Board President Rafael Mandelman sitting in for excused Vice Chair Matt Dorsey) held a hearing to receive the San Francisco Youth Commission's budget and policy priorities for fiscal years 2025–2026 and 2026–2027. The Commission, composed of 17 youth appointees, presented a comprehensive set of budget and policy priorities developed through extensive community outreach, acknowledging the city's near $1 billion budget deficit and the challenging federal administration. The supervisors expressed gratitude and committed to considering the recommendations during the upcoming budget process.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Harper Fortgang, District 8 Youth Commissioner, expressed strong support for the climate budget priorities, urging acceleration of electrification, expansion of climate resilience, and strengthening climate literacy in schools. They specifically asked for funding for SF Environment's education program and a district-wide climate action day.
- Ava Orham, mayoral appointee to the Youth Commission, expressed strong support for the continuation and expansion of free Muni for youth, emphasizing its necessity for equity, reducing financial burdens, and promoting transit use.
- Emily Yang, mayoral appointee to the Youth Commission, urged support for youth workforce and employment programs, citing personal experience and the value of vocational pathways, especially for youth in underserved areas.
- Adrianna Zhang, former Youth Commission chair, advocated for taking youth commissioners seriously and asked for engagement with MTA regarding respectful fare inspectors for youth.
Discussion Items
- The Youth Commission, led by Chair Jason Fong, presented their budget and policy priorities: 1) Increase civic engagement (pre-registration, lower voting age to 16), 2) Reduce social isolation, 3) Address food insecurity in schools (central kitchen, school food advisory), 4) Support in-school youth development programs (mental health, substance abuse, academic support), 5) Address hate crimes (police staffing, transit safety), 6) Climate resilience and literacy (electrification, respite locations, green schoolyards), 7) Housing (education workforce housing, TAY housing, affordable housing, rent control, SRO conditions), 8) Street safety and vision zero (no turn on red, slow streets, car-free spaces), 9) Transit (maintain school tripper, preserve reliability, fund free Muni), 10) Youth employment (pathways, programs in underserved areas, systemic barriers), 11) Improve police relations with youth (trainings, SFPAL), 12) Address sexual assault and harassment in schools (background checks, Title IX advisory group), 13) Reduce youth weapon access (violence prevention, safe storage, buybacks), 14) Undocumented family protections (sanctuary city, legal support, higher education cooperation).
- Supervisor Walton asked how the Commission shares priorities with the school district; the Commission noted difficulty due to lack of a staffed student advisory council but have communicated with the superintendent and had a school board commissioner attend a meeting.
- Supervisor Engardio suggested the Commission present directly to the school board and MTA board, and expressed interest in trade school concepts and job fairs.
- Chair Chan informed the Commission that a $160 million school bond including $22 million for central kitchen and school nutrition had passed the budget committee, and reaffirmed the Board of Supervisors' unanimous support for sanctuary city status, rent control fights, and partnerships with City College. She committed to sharing the recommendations with the mayor and throughout the budget process.
Key Outcomes
- The committee voted 4-0 to excuse Vice Chair Matt Dorsey from the meeting.
- The committee voted 4-0 to hear and file the hearing on the Youth Commission's budget priorities.
- Supervisors committed to using the recommendations as a roadmap during the budget process and to advocate with other city bodies on youth priorities.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. The meeting will come to order. Welcome to the March 19, 2025 meeting of the budget and finance committee, or budget and appropriation committee. I am Supervisor Connie Chan, Chair of the Committee. I am joined by Supervisors Shaman Walton and Joe and Guardio. Our clerk, it's Brett Halipa. I would like to thank SFGov TV for uh Suze etnoles Enoz for uh broadcasting this meeting. Mr. Clark, do you have any announcements? Thank you, Madam Chair. Pardon. Uh just a friendly reminder to uh those in attendance to please make sure to silence all cell phones and electronic devices to prevent interruptions to our proceedings. Should you have any documents to be included as part of the file, they should be submitted to myself, the clerk. Public comment will be taken on the item on this agenda. Uh when your item of interest comes up in public comment is called, please line up to speak on the west side of the chamber to your right, my left along those curtains. And while not required to provide public comment, we do invite you to fill out a comment card and leave them on the tray uh by the television chair left by the doors. If you wish to be accurately recorded for the minutes, alternatively, you may submit public comment and writing in either of the following ways. Email them to myself, the budget and appropriations committee clerk at B-R-E-N-T dot J A L I P A at SFGO V dot ORG. If you submit public comment via email, it will be forwarded to the supervisors and also included as part of the official file. You may also send your written comments via U.S. Postal Service to our office in City Hall at 1, Dr. Carlton. Be good with place, room 244, San Francisco, California, 94102. And Madam Chair, that concludes my announcements. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. And um with that, could you please call item number one? Uh yes, Madam Chair. Actually, ahead of that, uh, could we have a budget to excuse Vice Chair Dorsey? Yes. Um I would like to make the motion to excuse a Supervisor Matt Dorsey and also welcome our board president, Rafael Mendelman uh in the board chamber. And do we need a roll call for that? Uh we need to be able to do that. Maybe a second. Second by Supervisor Mandelman and um and uh we will go a roll call, please. Okay. And on that motion to excuse Supervisor Dorsey from attending today's meeting. Member Engardio. Aye and Guardio, aye, member Walton. Walton, aye, member Mandelman. Aye. Aye. Chan I. We have four eyes. The motion passes. And with that, Mr. Clerk, please call item number one. Yes, item number one is a hearing to identify the youth commission's budget priorities for fiscal years 2025 to 2026 and 2026 to 2027. Madam Chair. Thank you.
openpublica.com