Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Gender Based Violence topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Advocates ask board to protect gender‑based violence services; supervisors request contract transparency
Summary
Service providers and survivors urged the committee to preserve funding for gender‑based violence programs and recommended flexible contracting; supervisors asked county staff for a detailed off‑agenda breakdown of proposed Object 2 contract reductions before May 1.
Survivors and advocates from five state‑certified agencies told the Public Safety and Justice Committee that county funding supports critical, confidential services for survivors of gender‑based violence and that proposed budget reductions risk undermining life‑saving responses.
Speakers including Melissa Luke of YWCA Golden Gate Valley and representatives of the Domestic Violence Advocacy Consortium described the scale of service (over 1,500 children and youth served last year, the transcript states) and asked that supervisors avoid narrow line‑item caps that would prevent agencies from braiding county funds with state, city or private sources.
Supervisors pressed county staff for more transparency about proposed cuts. One supervisor asked that staff provide an off‑agenda report detailing which contracts within Object 2 would be reduced and how one‑time versus ongoing funds would be treated; staff said they would try to publish more detailed information before the County Executive’s May 1 proposed budget.
Why it matters: Gender‑based violence programs provide immediate crisis response, shelter referrals and legal advocacy for vulnerable residents. Providers warned that reduced contract flexibility or deep cuts could limit rapid responses, legal support and services for children and LGBTQ+ survivors.
The committee received the report from the Office of the CEO and directed staff to deliver additional detail on proposed impacts to contracted services prior to May 1.
