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Committee agrees to send $100,000 Italy relief appropriation to full board
Summary
The Government Audit & Oversight Committee voted to send an ordinance appropriating $100,000 from the general reserve to the Department of Emergency Management for earthquake relief in Central Italy to the full Board of Supervisors without recommendation after brief debate about precedent and funding source.
The Government Audit and Oversight Committee on Friday agreed to forward an ordinance that would appropriate $100,000 from the city’s general reserve to the Department of Emergency Management for earthquake relief in Central Italy.
Chair Aaron Peskin read the item and said the appropriation was meant to offer “sorrow and try to be helpful” to victims of the late‑August quake. Supervisor Bridal explained she could not support the use of public funds for foreign disaster relief and said such aid “should probably be done with private dollars.” Supervisor Yee moved to send the matter to the full Board of Supervisors without recommendation; the committee approved that procedural motion without taking public testimony.
The ordinance would direct the Department of Emergency Management to provide relief to earthquake victims in Italy for fiscal year 2016–17. Chair Peskin noted the city has a precedent of making emergency appropriations for foreign disasters, citing past actions for Taipei, El Salvador and Gujarat. The clerk recorded the item as sent to the full board without recommendation.
There was no public comment and no roll-call vote recorded at the committee level. The item will appear on the Board of Supervisors agenda on October 18 unless the full board changes course.
