City reports roughly $68.9 million in COVID‑19 response spending to date; fuller joint report due next week

Ashley Graffenburger, Deputy Budget Director in the Mayor’s Budget Office, briefed the committee on the city’s COVID‑19 spending and tracking: as of Monday, May 4 the city has expended approximately $68,900,000 on response efforts, a $5.4 million increase from the prior week driven by PPE purchases and additional non‑congregate shelter costs. Graffenburger said large categories include roughly $31.7 million in salary and benefits (largely reallocation of existing staff time), $19.9 million for health response (staffing and supplies), $8.1 million for non‑congregate shelter and about $9.2 million in other costs (IT, emergency operations support).

Controller's office representative Risa Sandler said the controller’s office is collaborating with the Mayor’s Budget Office and expects to release a fuller joint report within about a week that will include revenue projections and reimbursement estimates. Committee members asked the offices to provide more information on federal/state reimbursements and the timing of claims; staff noted FEMA and other agencies are being pursued for reimbursements and a fuller projection of remaining-year costs will be provided at the next hearing.

Chair Fewer outlined an updated committee calendar: next week (May 13) the committee will hear the updated joint report; on May 20 the committee will hear proposed rebalancing plans and budget instructions for the upcoming two‑year budget. The committee voted to continue broader budget process review to the call of the chair and adjourned.