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Budget committee forwards interim appropriation and salary ordinances but omits 16 mayor-requested positions; $4M HIV/AIDS amendment offered
Summary
The committee sent interim appropriation and salary ordinances to the full Board recommending that 16 mayor-requested new positions not be approved now; Supervisor Duffy offered an amendment to appropriate $4 million from the general fund reserve for HIV/AIDS services to cover potential Ryan White cuts, which was debated but not resolved on the committee floor.
The San Francisco Budget and Finance Committee on June 18 read the city's interim annual appropriation ordinance and interim annual salary ordinance for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2008, and agreed to forward those items to the full Board with a recommendation that the mayor's 16 requested new positions not be included for the time being.
The committee heard a June 14 report from the budget analyst outlining the interim budget purpose and the mayor's 16 requested exceptions, which total about $1.6 million in annual salary commitments (including roughly $1,077,000 in general-fund positions). The analyst estimated the cost to carry those positions July through September at about $508,844, with a general-fund share of about $350,001.29.
Supervisor Duffy offered an amendment to appropriate $4 million from the general fund reserve to HIV/AIDS services to cover anticipated cuts tied to the Ryan White reauthorization. Duffy said he had discussed the proposal with the mayor and that the mayor was supportive; the language would also direct the controller to reduce the general-fund augmentation if subsequent federal or state funds backfill the loss. Committee members debated whether to include the full $4 million in the one-month interim budget to give departments an administrative signal or to reserve the amount and make adjustments when the full fiscal plan is considered next week. Speakers repeatedly emphasized protecting the city's $25 million general-fund reserve.
Thomas Picariello, a member of the public, urged postponing decisions on multi-million-dollar items to allow more public review and recommended referral to the full Board with more notice.
After discussion, the committee voted and directed the clerk to transmit items 1 and 2 to the full Board with the recommendation that the 16 mayor-requested positions not be approved at this time; the record notes the committee action and that the items will be included in a committee report. The transcript records the amendment to appropriate $4 million for HIV/AIDS services was offered, seconded, and debated in committee; a final committee disposition of that specific amendment is not recorded in the portion of the transcript provided.
What happens next: The full Board will receive the committee's report and may take up the interim ordinances and any budget amendments during upcoming hearings.
