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Committee continues $10 million family relief fund measures after BLA recommendations and mayoral commitment
Summary
The committee heard ordinances to create a COVID-19 family relief fund and appropriate $10 million to aid undocumented and extremely low-income families. Supervisor Walton said the mayor committed $6 million; the Budget Legislative Analyst recommended clarifying appropriation language and quarterly reporting. The committee continued items for further amendment and review.
The Budget and Finance Committee on April 8 considered three related files to establish a COVID‑19 emergency (later proposed to be termed "disaster") family relief fund and to appropriate $10,000,000 from the General Reserve to support undocumented and extremely low‑income families with children.
Wanda Clark read the ordinances: two files to establish the COVID‑19 Emergency Family Relief Fund and an appropriation ordinance (file 200341) to provide $10,000,000 for families not eligible for federal stimulus. Supervisor Walton introduced the measures and said he had discussed the proposal with the mayor, who had committed $6,000,000 toward the effort and would work to reach the $10,000,000 target. Walton said the proposals were designed to serve families not covered by federal or state relief, and his office proposed non‑substantive amendments.
Sevin Campbell of the Budget Legislative Analyst's Office recommended two amendments: clarify the appropriation ordinance so the Controller could move monies from the identified account into the newly established fund once created, and require quarterly written reporting from the Human Rights Commission on disbursement because the fund would be a Category 8 fund disbursed without Board appropriation approval.
Supervisor Ronan thanked Walton but said she had been working with immigrant‑rights and worker‑rights groups on a separate proposal; she said OEWD had promised her a distribution proposal that had not yet arrived and asked OEWD director Joaquin Torres to consult with her directly. Ronan said she remained a cosponsor and wanted coordination rather than surprise consolidation of efforts.
Supervisor Walton put several amendments on the record, including changing the term "emergency" to "disaster" throughout the ordinances and adding a citation to the federal stimulus law (P.L. 116‑136); he also proposed operative‑date language tying one ordinance's effective date to the expiration of the emergency ordinance. After discussion, the committee agreed to consider the BLA's recommended amendments and Walton's changes at the next meeting once Walton and the Mayor's Office finalize details.
The committee voted to continue items 1–3 to the next Budget and Finance Committee meeting; the three‑member committee recorded three ayes. The committee did not adopt new funding sources at the hearing; staff were directed to return with clarifications requested by supervisors.
