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Council reviews Measure R/T swaps: $360,000 reallocation covers Spirit contribution and housing analyst
Summary
Council discussed a proposed swap of Measure R and Measure T funding that would reallocate $360,000 — $200,000 to Spirit and $160,000 for a housing management analyst position — with staff saying the swaps were suggested by the advisory committees and that the general fund remains the default for some homeless spending.
City staff reported a proposed swap of Measure R and Measure T allocations intended to align committee recommendations with the measures' stated priorities, resulting in a $360,000 reallocation covering a $200,000 contribution to Spirit and $160,000 for a housing management analyst position.
Mister Singer (city staff presenter) explained the recommendation and the committees' role: "Measure R... included 73% of respondents saying that it was extremely important or very important to address homelessness... When we went to Measure T... they likewise... wanted to have the swap... and asked to pay for more personnel and to have the general fund pay for the homeless. So we did 2 swaps and ended with everything being funded..." Singer said. Staff described the swaps as committee‑driven rather than a unilateral staff proposal.
Why it matters: the swap shifts which funds are used for homeless services, staffing and street maintenance while preserving the total funding levels recommended by the advisory committees. Staff noted the housing analyst position is not a new position but a reclassification/funding location and that the Spirit contract had been budgeted under the council section but council signaled it should be moved to the Community and Economic Development budget for clarity.
Council members generally expressed support for respecting the committees' recommendations. One councilmember said the swaps were logical and appreciated the committees' work. On the Spirit contract placement, council reached informal consensus to move the line item to the Community and Economic Development department to reflect program management responsibilities.
Staff also fielded budget‑level questions about ARPA fund balances and fund‑balance reporting; a finance staff member said the ARPA expenditure deadline is 12/30/2026 and that available ARPA funding exceeds $1.25 million, with a more detailed fund‑balance review planned this summer.
Next steps: staff will record the funding changes in the draft budget and present final fund summaries and any reclassifications in the final budget for adoption.
