San Francisco Fire Commission hears budget briefing as mayor's office seeks roughly $23.5 million in reductions

Deputy Director of Finance and Planning Mark Corso briefed the San Francisco Fire Commission on the department's operating budget for FY2025–26 and FY2026–27 on Jan. 22, 2025.

Corso said the mayor's office instructed city departments to reduce general‑fund support by 15 percent in light of a projected citywide shortfall, and that the Fire Department's share of that reduction is about $23.5 million. He said the department's proposed budget shows a modest increase over the prior year driven by previously agreed wage increases and changes in fringe‑benefit rates, not new programs or added staffing.

The briefing explained the Fire Department's heavy dependence on general‑fund dollars, noting most of its spending (roughly 90 percent) goes to salaries and benefits for frontline operations — suppression, emergency medical services and community paramedicine. Corso said that carve‑outs have been applied for legally or politically protected items; for the Fire Department the administration has carved out funding related to Proposition F minimum‑staffing obligations. Corso said entry‑level firefighter hiring remains exempt from the citywide hiring freeze.

Commissioners pressed Corso and Chief Dean Crispin on what the reductions would mean for minimum staffing, capital planning and service levels. The department and commissioners said they intend to continue negotiations with the mayor's office in March–May, after departments submit budget packages to the mayor on Feb. 21 and as the mayor's office refines its proposals through June 1.

Corso described major non‑personnel cost categories that are difficult to cut quickly, including workers' compensation, central shops for fleet maintenance, and city IT allocations delivered via work orders. He said work orders total about $40 million in the department budget and include a roughly $17.3 million workers' compensation allocation and sizable central shops and IT charges that are not easily trimmed.

Commissioners asked about next steps. Corso said the department will continue internal review, refine staffing projections and work with the Capital Planning Committee on project timing; the mayor's office will make final budget tradeoffs in late spring. Chief Crispin and commissioners emphasized they will advocate to preserve public‑safety staffing levels and requested further briefings for the commission before the Feb. 21 submission deadline.

Corso closed by noting the city's two‑year budget calendar and that many details remain subject to the mayor's office and the Board of Supervisors' later deliberations.