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Supervisors agree to continue review of revenue‑bond oversight; propose short extension and deeper review
Summary
After public testimony urged either stronger independent oversight or a short extension, the Rules Committee agreed to continue work on legislation extending the Revenue Bond Oversight Committee (RBAC), make technical fixes and amend the ordinance to extend the sunset date to Jan. 1, 2016 pending further review.
Supervisor Mark Farrell introduced an ordinance to extend the sunset date for the Revenue Bond Oversight Committee (RBAC), a citizen body created by Proposition P to provide public oversight of Public Utilities Commission revenue bond spending tied to multibillion‑dollar capital programs.
Kevin Chang, RBAC chair, described the committee's efforts to audit and monitor large projects within the Water System Improvement Program and said the oversight role remains important while major spending continues.
Former Supervisor Tony Hall, who authored Prop P, told the committee RBAC had drifted from its original intent and urged the Board to act to restore stronger independent audits, arguing that the committee had become too "cozy" with the PUC and controller’s office. "The illusion of oversight sometimes is worse than no oversight," Hall said, urging legal and structural fixes to ensure independent contracting and true audits.
Others told the committee an immediate extension was preferable to letting RBAC lapse while important reviews are ongoing: one commenter noted RBAC's review of Hetch Hetchy rebuild costs would not be complete until April and recommended extending RBAC through the projected completion timeframe for some projects.
Supervisors debated options: extend and repair the committee’s operations internally, or allow the committee to sunset and reconstitute a different oversight body later. The committee directed staff and the city attorney to examine what structural changes are possible under current voter‑approved language and agreed to continue the item to the next Rules Committee meeting (Nov. 1) for further consideration. Supervisor Farrell moved to amend the ordinance and extend RBAC’s sunset to Jan. 1, 2016; that amendment was adopted and the item continued for further review. The committee emphasized the need for appointments and contracting approaches that would ensure independent audits if the committee persists.
What’s next: The item will be continued to the next Rules Committee meeting for further examination of possible structural changes and to finalize the technical amendment extending RBAC’s sunset date.
