Board, mayor strike deal on budget cuts
By: Joshua Sabatini
Examiner Staff Writer
July 1, 2009
SAN FRANCISCO — Nearly $44 million was slashed from Mayor Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget — the largest amount since he came into office — and used instead by supervisors to restore social service funding.
Those changes to the city and county budget, however, remain at high-risk amid a poor economy and looming state funding cuts.
After negotiating all day, the Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee announced late Wednesday that a budget deal was struck with Newsom that would restore tens of millions of cuts to health and other services, while not laying off police or firefighters.
Supervisors praised the deal for more equitably sharing the cuts across city departments, after criticizing Newsom’s initial budget proposal for closing a $438 million deficit by cutting health and other services while increasing funding for public safety departments.
“This is a budget that more fairly shares in the sacrifice of balancing this budget,” Board of Supervisors President David Chiu said.
Newsom’s budget Director Nani Coloretti called the outcome “a good bargain.”
Supervisor John Avalos led the Board of Supervisors Budget and Finance Committee in cutting $19.6 million, including $6 million from the Fire Department, from Newsom’s budget proposal.
The committee members negotiated all day Wednesday with the Mayor’s Office and were able to find another $24.1 million in cuts that spared many of the more politically charged cuts, such as defunding the Community Justice Center or reducing operational hours of the 311 call center, both Newsom initiatives.
The additional cuts included $7 million from a fund that had been set aside in case of state funding cuts. Also, there was $500,000 from a proposal to put parking meters in Golden Gate Park and $2 million from consolidating city technology.
The budget negotiations restored cuts to substance-abuse programs, health, mental health, recreation and other services. It also killed proposals to contract out city services positions such as security guards and janitors.
But supervisors warned that The City’s financial picture could grow darker in short order.
“I am very, very alarmed about the foot that could drop over our heads from the state level,” Avalos said.
Supervisors warned that state cuts and The City’s own revenues could force Newsom to issue mid-year budget reductions.
In a letter handed out during the meeting, the mayor said he would work with the board before making cuts to The City’s budget due to lack of funding from the state.
The committee voted 5-0 to send the $6.6 billion budget to the full board for a vote July 14, where more changes could be made.
jsabatini@sfexaminer.com
