Budget committee approves $32.9 million in restorations, forwards consolidated FY2011–12 budget to full board

The Board of Supervisors Budget & Finance Committee on the morning of July 1 moved to adopt a package of budget restorations totaling $32,941,541 and forwarded consolidated appropriation and salary ordinances for fiscal 2011–12 to the full board with a committee recommendation.

The action, led by Committee Chair Supervisor John Avalos, adopted a set of eight staffing and funding adjustments across city departments and asked the Controller’s Office to prepare a supplemental appropriation for the remaining $7,400,000 that is listed on the restoration sheet but not yet before the committee.

The restorations the committee acted on included: replacing deputy sheriffs with institutional police and security guard positions at the Department of Public Health for certain security duties; a funding adjustment for jail health services tied to a nurses’ flex staffing agreement; a $1,484,818 reduction in citywide IT budgets; a $250,000 reduction in police training funding to be offset by MOU funding; a $134,280 property transfer tax backfill to reduce the library’s general fund overmatch; an EMS restructuring that eliminates EMS captain positions and replaces them with civilian positions; and an across‑the‑board salary savings applied to general fund departments.

Supervisor David Campos moved to table a separate item (Item 5) that would have concurred with the Controller’s certification allowing private contractors to provide jail health services; that motion carried by roll call. On the package of budget motions, the committee’s roll calls produced four ayes and one no on key votes (Supervisor Sean Elsbernd cast the lone no vote). Chair Avalos stated, “The motion passes,” after the votes were recorded.

Supervisor Elsbernd pressed staff on the timing and legality of including the supplemental $7.4 million: “How do we accept 7,400,000 in this list that isn't here?” Monique Zamuda of the Controller’s Office responded that the committee was acting on $32,941,000 now and that the Controller’s Office had been asked to prepare a supplemental appropriation for the balance to be introduced later so it could travel with the appropriation ordinance.

Votes at a glance: the committee tabled Item 5 (jail health contracting) by roll call (4–1), approved the across‑the‑board salary savings motion by roll call (4–1), approved the amendment to the budget restorations ($32,941,541) and directed the Controller to prepare the $7.4 million supplemental by roll call (4–1), and voted to forward the consolidated budget and salary ordinances to the full board with recommendation (4–1). Several other motions (e.g., IT reductions, police training offset, library backfill, EMS restructuring, board salary reduction) were taken and approved without objection.

Chair Avalos repeatedly thanked city staff, budget analysts and the Controller for work to close what he described as a $483 million deficit and to produce a balanced package the committee could forward. The committee set a schedule for the supplemental appropriation’s introduction (staff indicated July 13 introduction with committee consideration to follow, and that the full board would consider the combined package on July 20).

Next steps: the Controller’s Office will prepare the supplemental appropriation for $7,400,000, which the committee requested be introduced and considered alongside the annual appropriation and salary ordinances as they proceed to the full Board of Supervisors. The committee adjourned after the votes.