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Supervisors advance renaming and expansion of city—s disaster donation fund
Summary
The Budget & Finance Committee advanced an ordinance to rename the San Francisco Disaster Recovery Fund to the San Francisco Disaster Recovery and Emergency Response and Recovery Fund, change its budget category to allow faster city allocation of donations and require annual reporting; Supervisor Katie Tang secured additional reporting amendments.
The Budget & Finance Committee on Sept. 9 advanced an ordinance to rename and broaden the city—s disaster donation vehicle so officials can move donor money faster during emergencies.
Deputy City Administrator Jennifer Johnston said the change would rename the San Francisco Disaster Recovery Fund as the San Francisco Disaster Recovery and Emergency Response and Recovery Fund and reclassify it from a category 4 to a category 8 fund so the city administrator can allocate donations without separate appropriation approval by the mayor and board. Johnston said the revision is intended to allow donations to be used to "replace, repair, rebuild city buildings and assets damaged as a result of a disaster emergency" or "to provide shelter, food, and assistance to individuals, families, and their pets who are impacted by a disaster or an emergency." She said the proposal was prepared with input from the Department of Emergency Management, the Mayor—s Office, Human Services Agency, Mayor—s Office on Disability, Department of Animal Care and Control, and the Controller—s Office.
Supervisor Katie Tang said she supports the ordinance but moved an amendment to require the city administrator—s office and the controller—s office to submit an annual report by July 15 each year to the mayor and the Board of Supervisors detailing the fund—s sources and uses. Tang also asked that the Controller include the fund—s sources and uses in its quarterly budget status report. Johnston said the administration supports the additional reporting language to increase transparency and accountability.
The budget analyst noted the existing fund had received $546 across 19 donations to date and that no expenditures had been made from it. The analyst emphasized that moving the fund category would eliminate the board—s appropriation approval and characterized that change as a policy matter; the budget office nonetheless recommended approval consistent with Tang—s reporting amendment.
Committee members voted to forward the ordinance to the full Board of Supervisors with a positive recommendation. The ordinance, as amended, would allow the city administrator to determine allocation of undesignated donations in consultation with DEM and the Controller and increase annual reporting on the fund.
