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Community Ambassadors Funding Cut Draws Strong Public Backlash at Budget Hearing
Summary
Supervisors heard hours of public testimony June 12 urging restoration of the OSEA/City community ambassador program after the mayor—s budget funds it in year one but eliminates the second-year allocation; the administration said the cut is both a policy prioritization and a budget tradeoff.
A steady stream of community leaders, providers and current community ambassadors packed the Budget and Appropriation Committee on June 12 to protest a proposed elimination of the OSEA community ambassador program in the second year of the mayor—s budget.
Supervisor Preston and other board members pressed the administration for clarity after inconsistent references to the program—s termination date. City Administrator Carmen Chu and deputies clarified in the hearing that the ambassador program is funded in FY24-25 (the first year of the two-year package) but would receive no funding in FY25-26 under the mayor—s proposal. Chu said the administration prioritized outreach and ambassador teams that are "directly related to public safety, street response, and street conditions" as part of broader budget trade-offs.
Hundreds of public commenters described the city-funded ambassador program as a frontline safety and outreach presence: multilingual workers who escort seniors, administer Narcan, de-escalate crises, support food distributions and connect residents to services. Speakers included community-based organizations, arts and cultural groups, nonprofit workforce providers, and more than 60 current or former community ambassadors who described daily life-saving interventions and neighborhood support.
Supervisor Preston asked whether the mayor's decision was financial or policy driven; the administration said it was both. Staff outlined that if the second-year cut is sustained the program would continue through June 30, 2025 but the department would not hire additional ambassadors for the second year and would pursue HR transitions for affected staff. Several supervisors expressed strong opposition and signaled intent to explore funding alternatives, including board-level resolutions and potential reallocation of resources.
Action and next steps: The committee did not adopt a policy change at the hearing. Committee members and the administration agreed to continue conversations about alternatives to outright elimination; community groups said they will press the board and mayor to restore funding when the two-year budget is finalized.
