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Committee releases $44 million mayoral reserve to restore departmental salaries
Summary
Committee approved releasing $44 million in reserves placed during last year’s budget to fund previously planned salary and fringe restorations across departments after the budget office said state uncertainties had been resolved.
The Budget and Finance Committee voted to release $44,000,000 in reserve funds the mayor had placed during prior budget deliberations so departments can fund salaries and fringe benefits that had been held in reserve. Greg Wagner, the Mayor’s Budget Director, told the committee the state budget outlook has stabilized and that the administration expects departments to need the funds for operations through the fiscal year.
Budget analyst Mr. Rose said the reserves had been held because of earlier uncertainty and noted that not releasing them now could require significant cuts; he cited an estimate that $44 million in withheld funds could have resulted in approximately 4,075 layoffs if the departments had borne the reductions entirely through personnel. Supervisors questioned whether restorations had been fully funded and whether departments had expended the funds; Wagner said add‑backs were funded and his office would follow up on department expenditures where needed.
Public comment included a Tenderloin resident who urged additional oversight and hearings before restoring the funds and suggested that a supervisor running for sheriff not be involved in sheriff funding discussions; the chair asked public speakers to address the committee as a whole. After discussion the committee approved the release without objection.
