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Supervisors debate adding a fourth administrative assistant to each district office
Summary
A proposal to add one administrative assistant to each of the 11 supervisors' offices (approx. $1.3M total) drew supporter testimony citing staff burnout and high constituent demand; clerk provided a line-item cost estimate and the committee discussed scope and funding.
Several supervisors pressed the Budget & Finance Committee to consider adding an administrative assistant to each supervisor—s district office to ease an increasingly heavy constituent workload.
Clerk of the Board Angela Calvillo briefed the committee on the Board—s proposed budget and presented a costing analysis for adding one administrative assistant (class spec 13-64 / Special Assistant #5) to each of the 11 offices. The clerk—s estimate included salary and benefits at top step plus incidental start-up costs (IT, workstation, licenses, training) and totalled about $120,568 per office (top step) or roughly $1.3 million for all 11 offices.
Supervisor Hillary Ronan urged the committee to adopt the additional positions, arguing district offices are chronically understaffed (three staff per supervisor), that legislative aides routinely exceed 50–55 hours weekly and that reliance on unpaid interns and volunteer help undermines continuity. Colleagues from other districts supported the concept as a way to reduce burnout, stabilize staffing and create a paid entry-level pipeline into public-sector jobs.
Clerk Calvillo said the board had not included the positions in its base request but prepared the cost estimate at a supervisor—s request. The committee discussed the estimate and asked for additional follow-up and context on workload comparisons with other cities. No formal action was taken at the hearing; the clerk—s materials can be used to inform future supplemental requests or budget deliberations.
Why it matters: District office staffing levels affect constituent service delivery and how quickly the city responds to resident emergencies and problems. The proposal frames a trade-off between new recurring personnel costs and improved responsiveness in local representation.
What—s next: Supervisors indicated interest in pursuing the request; the clerk—s estimate will inform supplemental or future budget requests and the committee may take it up again during budget deliberations.
