Fire Commission endorses department—s budget priorities, declines to submit requested target reductions

The Fire Commission on Feb. 13 unanimously adopted a motion endorsing the San Francisco Fire Department—s recommendation not to submit the citywide 2% target reductions requested under the mayor—s budget instructions. Mark Corso, the department—s finance and planning director, presented the draft operating budget for FY2019–21 and said departments were asked to propose 2% reductions per year plus a 1% contingency in each year to address a projected city structural shortfall.

Corso told commissioners that the department—s budget is largely dedicated to frontline emergency operations and that consensus from internal Budget Committee discussions was that requested reductions would harm service delivery. He identified three top priorities the department seeks to protect in budget negotiations with the mayor—s…