Board approves FY2010 budget; supervisors press administration on CNA restorations

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on July 28 approved the city's consolidated budget and related annual salary ordinance for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, while supervisors pressed staff and the administration for clarification about restored funding for certified nursing assistant positions at city health facilities.

Supervisors voted 9-2 to pass the remaining portions of items 16 and 17, the annual salary ordinance and consolidated budget and appropriation ordinance. The Board took an earlier divided roll call to resolve a separate question about funding for the Community Justice Center; that divided portion passed 7-4.

Why it matters: Supervisors said portions of the adopted budget include partial restorations for CNAs after earlier proposed downgrades in classifications and pay. Dozens of long-term care workers and advocates had sought full restorations; Board members signaled they intend to pursue further action to correct earlier position downgrades and pay changes.

In a staff briefing, Ben Rosenfield, Comptroller, told the Board the mayor's initial proposal would have eliminated 345 CNA positions at Laguna Honda and replaced them with a lower classification effective Nov. 15. He said the Budget Committee's final motion added $500,000 that reduced the number of downgraded positions to 292, effective Nov. 15, and that separate reductions earlier in the prior fiscal year affecting 92 FTEs at San Francisco General Hospital were not restored by the committee.

Rosenfield said, according to the transcript, "the initial proposed budget ... had the proposed elimination of 345 CNAs at Laguna Honda effective November 15, and replacement of those with a lower level class. The budget committee ... added $500,000 which served to restore a portion of those positions. So the reduced number is now 292 CNAs effective November 15." (Ben Rosenfield, Comptroller.)

Several supervisors said they and colleagues had expected the committee's add-back to restore pay and classification fully and expressed concern that the $500,000 add-back might not make impacted positions whole under the city's comparable worth rules. Supervisor Mercarimi (transcript spelling varies) and Supervisor Abalos urged pursuing a supplemental appropriation if the Board wants to restore positions that were eliminated in the prior fiscal year rather than restore only prospective positions effective Nov. 15.

Deputy City Attorney Cheryl Adams advised the Board that, if it wished to alter the committee's specific add-back approach, the proper course would be a supplemental appropriation rather than amending the document on the floor, because changing the printed budget now could jeopardize the Board's ability to pass a budget by the statutory deadline. Adams said a supplemental would be "much more appropriate." (Cheryl Adams, Deputy City Attorney.)

Supervisor comments recorded in the transcript show repeated concern about the likely impacts of downgrades on largely female and minority city employees and requests to work directly with the affected departments and unions. Several supervisors said they remained open to a settlement appropriation and follow-up negotiations with union representatives and department managers to address comparable-worth claims.

What happened next: With the budget passed and the legal advice noted, supervisors said they expect to pursue follow-up work, including possible supplemental appropriations or salary ordinance amendments, to resolve outstanding classification and pay issues. The transcript records multiple supervisors requesting staff follow-up and an expectation of further Board action on the matter.

Ending note: The Board's actions adopted the FY2010 budget and salary ordinance but left open follow-up steps on CNA restorations and the details of which positions and pay levels will be fully remedied; supervisors explicitly described supplemental appropriation and staff negotiations as the next avenues to resolve outstanding concerns.