It’s crunch time in budget battle
By: Joshua Sabatini
Examiner Staff Writer
June 24, 2009
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| Political hot potato: Mayor Gavin Newsom was none too pleased with supervisors’ decision to cut public-safety budgets instead of city services. (AP file photo) |
SAN FRANCISCO — The flames of the budget battle were fanned Tuesday by the slashing of more than $80 million from public-safety departments’ budgets, but the fight is about to intensify.
The Board of Supervisors’ 7-4 decision to approve the interim budget forces Mayor Gavin Newsom to decide within 10 days what to do next — veto the budget, sign it into law or return it unsigned, with each choice carrying political consequences.
The spending plan approved Tuesday contains deep cuts to the Fire, Police and Sheriff’s departments from the levels Newsom had proposed in his budget. A committee of supervisors amended the mayor’s version earlier this month, setting up the confrontation between the board and Newsom.
Newsom, who’s making a run for governor, is in a politically sensitive position and was noncommittal with reporters about what he would do.
A veto, which could shut down city government, carries the biggest political risk. The City needs an interim budget in place to operate past
June 30.
Though a loud message to the mayor, the supervisors’ vote has little actual impact on public-safety departments’ budgets. The interim document is used for the first month of the fiscal year, beginning July 1, until a final budget is adopted.
But Newsom also has other budget battles on his hands. The board and the mayor are engaged in intense budget negotiations about funding priorities for the final spending plan.
Supervisors are now focused on restoring tens of millions of dollars in cuts Newsom dealt to city services in his proposed $6.6 billion budget for the entire fiscal year.
On July 1, the board’s Budget and Finance Committee is expected to hold its last hearing on Newsom’s proposed budget, finalize the spending plan and forward it to the full board for adoption.
Supervisor John Avalos, who chairs the committee, said he has identified more than $75 million in cuts to services — such as violence-prevention programs and recreation and parks — he and other board members would like restored. That means the committee will look to cut deep into Newsom’s budget.
In previous years, the committee has cut about $20 million to $30 million. But Avalos said he’s looking for at least $50 million this year, with the large deficit being the reason for the increase.
“We’ve never had a $576 million deficit. We’ve never had a budget that has been so disproportionately balanced,” Avalos said.
Supervisor David Campos said that the slash to the interim budget coveys to Newsom: “Let’s have meaningful conversation. Lets’ sit down and negotiate something that makes sense.”
Newsom said “the board made a mistake” by slashing the interim budget. “You don’t play politics with interim budgets,” the mayor said.
That aside, Newsom spokesman Nathan Ballard said, “The mayor is going to work closely with the Board of Supervisor to hammer out a budget that reflects our shared priorities and that is going to involve some give and take.”
Budget fight
Members of the Board of Supervisors voted 7-4 to approve cutting $82 million from police, fire and sheriff’s departments’ in the interim budget, a temporary budget used for about a month until a city and county budget is finalized. A yes vote supported approving the interim budget with the cut to public safety departments
District 1 Eric Mar Yes
District 2 Michela Alioto-Pier No
District 3 David Chiu Yes
District 4 Carmen Chu No
District 5 Ross Mirkarimi Yes
District 6 Chris Daly Yes
District 7 Sean Elsbernd No
District 8 Bevan Dufty No
District 9 David Campos Yes
District 10 Sophie Maxwell Yes
District 11 John Avalos Yes
jsabatini@sfexaminer.com
