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Subcommittee orders review after finding unpaid City College election bill; trims election supplemental
Summary
The Budget & Finance subcommittee voted April 1 to forward a reduced election-cost supplemental to the full Board after a budget analyst identified a $247,161 unpaid invoice from City College of San Francisco and recommended trimming the $4.39 million request by $173,734. The controller agreed to analyze historic unpaid reimbursements.
The San Francisco Budget & Finance subcommittee voted April 1 to send an amended supplemental appropriation for election costs to the full Board after the budget analyst identified an unpaid invoice from City College of San Francisco and recommended a reduction.
The ordinance under consideration would have appropriated $3,181,333 in state-mandated reimbursement revenue, $79,597 in candidate filing fees and $1,124,751 from the general-fund reserve, for a total of $4,385,681 to cover costs tied to the November 2008 general election and a state-called May 2009 special election. Budget analyst Mr. Rose told the committee the report contains errors and an unpaid City College invoice of $247,161, and recommended reducing the requested supplemental by $173,734 to $4,211,947.
"We are recommending that you reduce the requested supplemental appropriation from the general fund reserve by a net of $173,007.34," Mr. Rose said, explaining the correction and the City College delinquent amount identified in the report.
John Arnz of the Department of Elections told the committee the department faced about $1.1 million in cost overruns from the November 2008 presidential election and expects roughly $3.1 million for the May special election called by the state; he said most funding will come from reimbursement and the General Fund for any remaining costs.
Controller's office staff and budget analysts traced the practice of attempting to invoice other districts to about 2002. Deborah Newman of the budget analyst office said the City College did not pay invoices in 2004, 2006 or 2008 and that neighboring counties reported they do collect from community college districts. Vice Chair Supervisor Ross Mercurini requested a wider review across jurisdictions to determine how far back shortfalls might extend.
"We can certainly do that analysis for the committee," Monique Znuda of the controller's office replied, agreeing to examine state law and records and to go back as far as records permit.
The committee took a motion to accept the budget analyst recommendation and forwarded the amended ordinance to the full Board with recommendation. There was no public comment on the item at the subcommittee hearing.
What happens next: The full Board will consider the amended supplemental appropriation; the controller's office said it expects to deliver an analysis of historic reimbursements within about a month.
