San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed issued the following statement following the Board of Supervisor’s Budget and Appropriations Committee passing amendments to the Mayor’s Proposed Budget for Fiscal Years (FY) 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. The Budget will now go to a vote by the full Board of Supervisors and will need to be signed by Mayor Breed.

“This is a challenging time for all of us. Over 200,000 San Franciscans have filed for unemployment. Small businesses have closed permanently. Our City's revenues have been decimated by COVID. Our residents, our small business owners, our families, and our workers are struggling. People in our city are making hard choices each and every day. Our City leaders need to do the same.

I appreciate our workforce and what they do every day for our city, which is why it was so important to me from the beginning of this pandemic that we not lay off any City workers because of COVID. And when I proposed my budget last month, we closed an historic $1.5 billion deficit without laying off a single City worker or dramatically reducing services. It wasn't easy, but I made the tough choices that put our residents and the services they deserve first.

I deeply respect the work of the Budget Chair, Supervisor Sandra Fewer, and her collaborative approach to this budget. We share and collectively supported key funding priorities including mental health, COVID response, and support for the African American community. But I have deep concerns about the Board’s decision to spend our entire $59 million in business tax reserves. The fiscal stability of our city and our ability to continue to deliver essential services can’t be ignored. There is so much we don’t know right now. We don't know how long COVID will be here, we don't know how long the federal government will continue to reimburse us for expenses, we don’t know when tourists will return, we don’t know the impacts of people working from home will have on our downtown economy, we don’t know how long it will take our entire economy to recover, and we don't know the outcome of hundreds of millions of dollars that is up for a vote on this November’s ballot.

As Mayor, I have a responsibility beyond this budget to ensure we can continue to deliver for the residents of San Francisco not just today, but tomorrow, next month, and in the years ahead. I cannot support the Board's decision to appropriate additional funds from our reserves that threatens our ability to do so. I will use all of my discretion and authority to protect this City from any additional financial risks. Our residents deserve, expect, and demand better.”

Mayor Breed introduced her budget proposal for FY 2020-21 and 2021-22 on July 31, which included new investments to prioritize racial equity and reinvest in the African-American community, continue making progress on homelessness and behavioral health, and maintain the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The budget proposal made these important investments while also balancing the two-year $1.5 billion deficit with a responsible use of reserves, preserving jobs and with minimal impact to City services

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