Committee weighs partial release of $4.9 million for workforce development salaries

The San Francisco Budget and Finance Committee on Feb. 1 considered a request to release $4,885,205 in reserve funds to the Human Services Agency (HSA) to cover payroll for the agency’s workforce development division.

“Noelle Simmons with the Human Services Agency” told the committee the request would fund salaries and fringes for approximately 106 full-time equivalents and that the funds had been held in reserve pending board action to consolidate workforce functions across departments. “These funds support the payroll expenses for approximately a 106 FTEs in the workforce development division,” Simmons said.

Chair Supervisor Aaron Peskin said the board has approved the consolidation legislation but that the committee should retain some oversight as positions are requisitioned for the Department of Economic and Workforce Development. Peskin proposed releasing half of the appropriation immediately and releasing the remaining roughly $2.4 million at the start of the fourth quarter, saying this would “allow us to continue to ensure that the intentions of the board…are actually being implemented.” HSA responded that it was aware of the committee’s will and that the agency found that approach acceptable.

No formal roll-call vote on the release was recorded in the hearing; the discussion closed with the committee directing continued oversight and with staff concurrence to the phased release approach under committee review.