Budget committee advances five‑year ICT plan, flags funding shortfalls and digital equity goals

The Budget and Appropriations Committee voted to send the city’s five‑year Information and Communication Technology plan for fiscal years 2022–2026 to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation.

Chair Matt Haney moved the recommendation and Supervisor Safaee seconded; the roll call produced five ayes. Presenters described the plan as a citywide strategy that centers equity and accessibility, shaped by lessons from the COVID‑19 pandemic.

Carmen Chu, San Francisco’s city administrator, told the committee the plan aims to reduce barriers to services and to make digital government "meet people where they are," linking technology investments to job and workforce connections and to improving permitting and housing services. Matthias, a director on the city’s technology team, said the plan was informed by the city’s first citywide service inventory, which identified 967 resident‑facing services and found only 194 meet the team’s standard for digital accessibility.

Matthias said the plan faces a substantial funding reduction compared with the prior projection, noting a roughly $132 million cut from an earlier $270 million five‑year estimate. Under current projections, COIT allocations and other sources will sustain ongoing projects but will not fund new initiatives in the near term. He told supervisors the plan recommends restoring COIT allocations to pre‑COVID levels by fiscal year 2025–26 and seeking a dedicated funding source to support development of universally accessible services.

Committee members pressed staff on specifics. Supervisor Ronan asked how the accessibility figure was calculated; staff said the inventory was self‑reported by departments. Members also questioned the composition of the COIT committee and the degree to which high‑priority permitting departments are represented; staff said COIT membership balances departmental representation and that subcommittees and Department of Technology support projects across departments.

On broadband and digital equity, Linda Jarrell said the city has connected about 7,000 housing units through fiber‑to‑housing programs and emphasized a three‑pronged approach of access, affordability and devices. Jarrell cited prior analyses that estimated a full municipal fiber buildout at roughly $2.3 billion, and she said targeted capital investments and federal funding opportunities will shape next steps. President Walton asked about the price tag to reach 30,000 residents lacking access; staff estimated approximately $42 million for the programs described, while noting that a comprehensive municipal network would be far costlier.

The presentation concluded with recommendations that departments submit digital transformation roadmaps tied to the inventory, and that the city leverage human‑centered design to build services that meet federal accessibility standards. The committee agreed to revisit many of these issues in future hearings and to pursue legislative and budgetary steps in the coming months.