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San Francisco Fire Commission approves two-year operating budget, urges mayor's office collaboration
Summary
The Fire Commission on Feb. 8 unanimously approved the San Francisco Fire Department's draft operating budget for FY2017—18 and FY2018—19, while asking staff to work with the mayor's office on outstanding reductions and to circulate a joint letter outlining the commission's position.
The San Francisco Fire Commission voted unanimously Feb. 8 to approve the Fire Department's draft two-year operating budget for fiscal years 2017—18 and 2018—19, even as department leaders warned of rising call volume and limited flexibility to absorb the mayor's requested reductions.
Director Corso presented the budget proposal and told the commission that the City's five-year financial-plan update projects an approximately $400 million deficit over the next two years. City instructions ask departments to reduce general-fund support by 3 percent in each year, Corso said, and to propose no net new positions. Corso said the department's proposal offsets roughly $705,000 of a $1.7 million reduction request with increased EMS and fire-prevention revenues but cautioned that additional cuts could create operational issues amid a recent spike in call volume.
Commissioners pressed staff on details including utility line items, fee projections for medical cannabis inspections, head counts and the portion of the budget devoted to personnel. Corso and Chief Joanne Hayes White said roughly 91 percent of the department's annual operating budget is for salaries and benefits and estimated total staffing at about 1,650, with roughly 75 civilian employees.
The commission also discussed capital and one-time items carried over from the previous two-year budget and emphasized the department's need to preserve funds tied to health-and-safety infrastructure and ongoing projects funded through prior approvals. Commissioners and staff agreed to reconvene an ambulance workgroup to study EMS deployment and response times and examine avenues to manage growing demand.
President Ken Cleveland said the commission will work with Director Corso and the chief to finalize and circulate a letter to the mayor's office that states the commission's position on the proposed reductions and related budget priorities. The motion to accept the department's budget proposal passed unanimously.
