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Board boosts MOU reserve by $2 million; supervisors raise concerns about growth in MEA/executive positions
Summary
After debate, the committee voted to add $2 million to the MOU reserve. At the same hearing supervisors and the controller highlighted an increase in MEA/executive-class positions since 2004 and questioned whether growth of managerial jobs has outpaced frontline staffing and whether some functions should be reclassified or consolidated.
Committee members debated recommended reductions to the MOU (memoranda of understanding) reserve and the broader pattern of staffing changes in the proposed budget.
Budget analyst Ken Bruce described conservative recommended reductions to the MOU reserve ($2,581,675) but noted that the Controller's Office projects significant carryforwards in other accounts. Supervisor Daley moved, and Supervisor Mercarini seconded, an amendment to add $2,000,000 to the MOU reserve; the controller urged further collaboration with the budget analyst before larger reductions. After roll call the motion passed and the committee adjusted recommended reductions to a new total of $4,581,675.
Separately, supervisors and labor representatives pressed the mayor's budget office and the controller for a breakdown of growth in positions assigned to the Management & Executive (MEA) bargaining unit. Controller Ben Rosenfield and the mayor's budget director explained that the MEA-assigned positions rose in the proposed budget (a net change shown as ~53.96 positions in documents provided to the committee), but much of that number reflects reclassifications, annualizations and functions that moved onto the city's budget rather than purely new hires. Supervisors raised the broader policy question that over several budget cycles MEA/executive positions rose faster (cited as ~24% since 2004) than nonmanagerial positions (~6%), and asked staff to identify whether position growth was justified or could be rebalanced.
Ending: The committee adopted the $2 million increase to the MOU reserve and asked the controller and budget analysts to produce a clearer, department-by-department explanation of MEA position changes (new vs. reclassifications vs. annualization) for further review.
