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Commission approves Department of the Environment budget amid federal-funding uncertainty
Summary
The Commission on the Environment approved the Department's FY2017-18 budget on Jan. 24 after a presentation showing a near-balanced operating budget, increased grant revenue, and potential exposure to federal funding changes; commissioners and public asked for more program-level detail.
The San Francisco Commission on the Environment voted Jan. 24 to approve the Department of the Environment's draft operating budget for fiscal 2017-18 after a staff presentation that described a largely balanced spending plan and increased grant revenue.
Joe Salem, program manager for finance and administration, said the department's operating budget at that stage showed a small shortfall of $13,861 and that the revenue mix was about 44 percent impound, 47 percent grants and 9 percent recoveries from other city departments. He noted the city is projecting a larger, citywide two-year deficit and that the mayor had asked general-fund departments to reduce ongoing expenditures by 3 percent in the coming year (and an additional 3 percent the following year). "For a budget of this size that's effectively balanced," Salem said of the draft.
Salem also flagged federal funding in the draft (three Department of Energy grants and one EPA grant) and said staff had received assurances that current, existing federal grants were secure; officials would monitor future grant solicitations and federal policy.
Public comment focused on transparency and detail. David Pilpel asked for program-level breakouts of impound-account allocations and questioned why the salary line rose even as one FTE was reduced. Commissioners discussed the two-year rolling budget process and the difficulty of projecting grant-funded programs that vary year to year.
Commissioner Heather Stevenson moved approval and Commissioner Hoyos seconded; the motion passed by voice vote.
The department will submit a balanced budget to the mayor's office on Feb. 21 and return to committee and the Board of Supervisors as required by the city's budget calendar.
