Board approves $750,000 midyear supplemental for domestic violence services; amended $118,107 reallocation sent back to budget committee

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on Feb. 12 approved a $750,000 midyear supplemental appropriation to expand city resources for domestic violence services, and agreed to send an amended version of the item back to the Budget and Finance Committee to consider reallocating $118,107 to community-based legal service providers.

The supplemental, which drew extended debate on the Board floor, includes additional staffing for the District Attorney’s Office, funding for nonprofit providers that assist victims, support for a citywide public awareness campaign and the restoration of a previously eliminated domestic-violence policy analyst position. President Chu said the supplemental responded to sharply rising demand for services: “Over the 1 year period documented in 2011, we have seen 47% more calls to domestic violence hotlines, 29% more beds required at domestic violence shelters ... and in the District Attorney’s Office we’ve seen an 88% increase in their caseloads related to domestic violence,” Chu said.

Supervisor Cohen introduced an amendment to restore and redirect $118,107 that the Budget and Finance Committee had removed, proposing those funds be transferred from the DA staffing line to the Commission on the Status of Women to expand civil legal services for survivors. Cohen asked the board to duplicate the file, vote on the duplicate with the amendment, and return it to committee for further review. The duplication and amendment were seconded on the floor; the board agreed to duplicate and refer that amended version back to committee for additional consideration.

Supporters of the supplemental argued the split approach—additional prosecutorial capacity plus strengthened community services—struck a balance. “We need both prosecution and robust social networks that can provide culturally competent services to victims and their families,” Supervisor Mark said in support. Opponents and several supervisors urged caution about midyear appropriations and requested stricter accountability and spending plans before any further reallocation.

On the recorded roll call for Item 7 (the salary ordinance amendment tied to the supplemental), the board voted 11–0 to pass the ordinance on first reading. The underlying ordinance and the duplicate amended version of Item 8 were both taken up and the board moved to (a) adopt the ordinance on first reading as it came out of committee and (b) accept Supervisor Cohen’s duplicated, amended version and refer that amended duplicate back to the Budget and Finance Committee for further vetting. The Board President and multiple supervisors stated they would continue oversight of the allocation and the committee review process.

The Board set a limited-term duration and signaled that committee review would return with more detailed spending plans and distribution mechanisms for the community providers should the amendment be advanced from committee.