Supervisors hold hourlong hearing on proposed public‑health cuts; interim budget, salary ordinances pass

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors on June 16 held a special “Builenson” hearing to review proposed reductions in the Department of Public Health budget and to receive public comment on cuts to mental‑health, substance‑abuse and community outreach programs. The board voted to adopt interim budget and interim salary ordinances on first reading.

The hearing drew a line‑up of community providers and clients who warned that proposed cuts would force higher use of emergency services, increase homelessness and worsen public safety. Department of Public Health Director Dr. Mitch Katz gave the department’s budget overview, including revenue and the administration’s reductions.

Katz told the board the department had identified $107,000,000 in additional revenue for the current year, and said “of the remaining $67,000,000 that is reduced … $12,300,000 … is service reduction.” He said the largest single program reduction proposed was $6,200,000 in substance‑abuse services and that mental‑health services reductions totaled about $3,300,000, while roughly $55,000,000 of the added revenue…