Mayor Lee Presents Proposed Balanced Budget For Fiscal Year 2015-16 & 2016-17
Mayor’s Two-Year Budget Ensures San Francisco Remains a Safe & Livable City with More Funds
San Francisco, CA— Mayor Edwin M. Lee today presented his proposed two-year balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2015-16 and 2016-17. The budget for the City for FY 2015-16 and FY 2016-17 is $8.92 and $8.96 billion, respectively. Half of the budget consists of self-supporting activities at the City’s Enterprise departments, which focus on City-related business operations including the Port, the Municipal Transportation Agency, the Airport, the Public Utilities Commission, and others, while the General Fund monies comprise the remaining half, which includes Public Health, Police and Fire services, Recreation and Park, to deliver core public services over the next two years.
“This year, I am pleased to say that for the first time, I oversaw a budget that was balanced by increasing revenue and allowed us to make smart and strategic investments to increase services for the public,” said Mayor Lee. “City government has an important role to play in making the lives of all people better and these good economic times represent a significant opportunity for us to continue to make sure that San Francisco is a safe and livable City, a caring and educated City, and a City that confronts our affordability challenges head on. I view this submission as a first step in a process, and I am proud of what we have accomplished so far. I look forward to working with the Board of Supervisors to deliver a budget that invests responsibly in the residents of San Francisco.”
“San Francisco is fortunate to have a thriving economy and unprecedented civic resources,” said Board President London Breed. “Now, in partnership with my colleagues on the Board and Mayor Lee, we are putting those resources to use – making a safer, healthier, more affordable City for everyone.”
“As Chair of our Budget and Finance Committee, I look forward to working with the community and my colleagues here at the Board over the coming weeks to discuss and approve a City budget that reflects the shared priorities and values of San Francisco,” said Supervisor Mark Farrell. “I thank Mayor Lee and his budget team for presenting a balanced City budget that makes key investments citywide to keep our City moving in the right direction, and I know the Board will build-upon and strengthen his proposed budget.”
Since Mayor Lee took office in 2011, he has worked hard to make sure that as the City emerged from the Great Recession, it used its prosperity to tackle its most pressing challenges. That is why San Francisco has led the nation in developing a Housing Trust Fund, increasing the minimum wage, re-envisioning the Housing Authority, and making Muni free for low-income seniors, youth, and people with disabilities. This budget continues those efforts.
The City and County of San Francisco is a major employer, and the proposed budget for the next two fiscal years includes funding for approximately 30,000 employees. This represents a 5.5 percent growth in the labor force over the two-year period, which is largely due to the following factors:
· Opening of the new San Francisco General Hospital and implementation of the Electronic Health Record system at the Department of Public Health;
· Implementation of the Affordable Care Act at the Human Services Agency and the Department of Public Health;
· Hiring of additional bus and train drivers, mechanics, janitors, and cleaning crews at the Municipal Transportation Agency to improve operations, maintenance and cleanliness, and to help launch the largest service improvements in decades; and
· The continued implementation of the Mayor’s six-year public safety hiring plan at the Police and Fire departments.
As in prior years, the City will spend approximately half of its budget on staff to deliver core public services over the next two years.
Addressing Affordability
Addressing affordability challenges continues to be Mayor Lee’s top priority. The budget includes increased services for seniors and persons with disabilities, implementation of an increased minimum wage, free Muni for income-qualified youth, seniors, and disabled persons, investments in workforce development, and a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for non-profit organizations that contract with the City to provide services.
Housing remains among the top of the Mayor’s Affordability Agenda. Mayor Lee’s two year proposed budget includes new funding for the Housing Trust Fund, contemplates final action by the State of California allowing San Francisco to meet its redevelopment commitments more quickly, and invests in eviction prevention and neighborhood stabilization.
Service Increases to Make San Francisco Safer and More Livable
Over the next year, San Franciscans will benefit from more reliable and quality public service. Mayor Lee’s proposed budget contains a 10 percent service increase at Muni, to address crowding and reliability. In addition, building on the progress made with the Streets and Road Resurfacing Bond, this two-year budget fully funds the City’s street repaving program, which will allow the City to repave more than 1,400 blocks over the next two years.
Expanding services at Public Works and the Recreation and Park Department will keep streets cleaner, increase maintenance of City’s trees, and promote public safety throughout parks and playgrounds.
Mayor Lee’s two year budget also continues to fund the six-year public safety hiring plan to train the next generation of public safety personnel. Over the next two years, San Francisco will hire 400 new police officers, 198 firefighters, 55 paramedics, and 36 9-1-1 dispatchers to enhance community safety.
Investing in Our Social Safety Net
The budget also invests in systems of care that support the most vulnerable San Franciscans. This budget includes significant new resources dedicated to opening a new San Francisco General Hospital, adding 500 new units of supportive housing for people who are exiting homelessness through the innovative Navigation Center, and millions in new funds to support seniors and people with disabilities.
The budget includes $690 million of City funds to support San Francisco’s public schools, Preschool for All programs, and provide more summer and afterschool programs to clear out the waiting lists. This investment will make sure children are educated and ready to succeed—by working together through a new bold effort to improve outcomes for all San Francisco’s children and families with the Our Children, Our Families Council.
Long-Term Financial Sustainability
Mayor Lee’s proposed budget balances the need for increased and enhanced services for City residents with the need to ensure long-term financial stability and invest in the City’s infrastructure. In the coming year, the City will fully fund the Capital Plan’s recommended level in the first year of the budget, and invest an unprecedented $253.4 million in General Fund support for smart, responsible capital investments based on the recommendations of the City’s Ten-Year Capital Plan.
In addition to making strategic one-time investments, this budget also continues to grow the City’s reserves to offset the impact if an economic downturn does occur. By the end of June 2017, the City will have $297.4 million across its General Reserve, Budget Stabilization Reserve, and Rainy Day Reserve. These reserves function as the City’s savings account, protecting the City from economic uncertainty and helping continue to strengthen San Francisco’s credit rating.
The City Charter requires the Mayor submit a balanced budget proposal by the first working day in June. To deliver this two-year consensus budget proposal, Mayor Lee worked with the Board of Supervisors and heard directly from residents and community leaders in all 11 Supervisorial districts, and met with hundreds of residents, nonprofit organizations, City Commissioners, labor organizations, business owners, and advocates to discuss priorities and address concerns. Mayor Lee will continue to work with the Board of Supervisors to develop the best possible balanced budget for the City and County of San Francisco over the next month.
The Mayor’s proposed balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2015-16 and 2016-2017 is available online, go to:
http://sfmayor.org/index.aspx?page=880.
“This year, I am pleased to say that for the first time, I oversaw a budget that was balanced by increasing revenue and allowed us to make smart and strategic investments to increase services for the public,” said Mayor Lee. “City government has an important role to play in making the lives of all people better and these good economic times represent a significant opportunity for us to continue to make sure that San Francisco is a safe and livable City, a caring and educated City, and a City that confronts our affordability challenges head on. I view this submission as a first step in a process, and I am proud of what we have accomplished so far. I look forward to working with the Board of Supervisors to deliver a budget that invests responsibly in the residents of San Francisco.”
“San Francisco is fortunate to have a thriving economy and unprecedented civic resources,” said Board President London Breed. “Now, in partnership with my colleagues on the Board and Mayor Lee, we are putting those resources to use – making a safer, healthier, more affordable City for everyone.”
“As Chair of our Budget and Finance Committee, I look forward to working with the community and my colleagues here at the Board over the coming weeks to discuss and approve a City budget that reflects the shared priorities and values of San Francisco,” said Supervisor Mark Farrell. “I thank Mayor Lee and his budget team for presenting a balanced City budget that makes key investments citywide to keep our City moving in the right direction, and I know the Board will build-upon and strengthen his proposed budget.”
Since Mayor Lee took office in 2011, he has worked hard to make sure that as the City emerged from the Great Recession, it used its prosperity to tackle its most pressing challenges. That is why San Francisco has led the nation in developing a Housing Trust Fund, increasing the minimum wage, re-envisioning the Housing Authority, and making Muni free for low-income seniors, youth, and people with disabilities. This budget continues those efforts.
The City and County of San Francisco is a major employer, and the proposed budget for the next two fiscal years includes funding for approximately 30,000 employees. This represents a 5.5 percent growth in the labor force over the two-year period, which is largely due to the following factors:
· Opening of the new San Francisco General Hospital and implementation of the Electronic Health Record system at the Department of Public Health;
· Implementation of the Affordable Care Act at the Human Services Agency and the Department of Public Health;
· Hiring of additional bus and train drivers, mechanics, janitors, and cleaning crews at the Municipal Transportation Agency to improve operations, maintenance and cleanliness, and to help launch the largest service improvements in decades; and
· The continued implementation of the Mayor’s six-year public safety hiring plan at the Police and Fire departments.
As in prior years, the City will spend approximately half of its budget on staff to deliver core public services over the next two years.
Addressing Affordability
Addressing affordability challenges continues to be Mayor Lee’s top priority. The budget includes increased services for seniors and persons with disabilities, implementation of an increased minimum wage, free Muni for income-qualified youth, seniors, and disabled persons, investments in workforce development, and a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) for non-profit organizations that contract with the City to provide services.
Housing remains among the top of the Mayor’s Affordability Agenda. Mayor Lee’s two year proposed budget includes new funding for the Housing Trust Fund, contemplates final action by the State of California allowing San Francisco to meet its redevelopment commitments more quickly, and invests in eviction prevention and neighborhood stabilization.
Service Increases to Make San Francisco Safer and More Livable
Over the next year, San Franciscans will benefit from more reliable and quality public service. Mayor Lee’s proposed budget contains a 10 percent service increase at Muni, to address crowding and reliability. In addition, building on the progress made with the Streets and Road Resurfacing Bond, this two-year budget fully funds the City’s street repaving program, which will allow the City to repave more than 1,400 blocks over the next two years.
Expanding services at Public Works and the Recreation and Park Department will keep streets cleaner, increase maintenance of City’s trees, and promote public safety throughout parks and playgrounds.
Mayor Lee’s two year budget also continues to fund the six-year public safety hiring plan to train the next generation of public safety personnel. Over the next two years, San Francisco will hire 400 new police officers, 198 firefighters, 55 paramedics, and 36 9-1-1 dispatchers to enhance community safety.
Investing in Our Social Safety Net
The budget also invests in systems of care that support the most vulnerable San Franciscans. This budget includes significant new resources dedicated to opening a new San Francisco General Hospital, adding 500 new units of supportive housing for people who are exiting homelessness through the innovative Navigation Center, and millions in new funds to support seniors and people with disabilities.
The budget includes $690 million of City funds to support San Francisco’s public schools, Preschool for All programs, and provide more summer and afterschool programs to clear out the waiting lists. This investment will make sure children are educated and ready to succeed—by working together through a new bold effort to improve outcomes for all San Francisco’s children and families with the Our Children, Our Families Council.
Long-Term Financial Sustainability
Mayor Lee’s proposed budget balances the need for increased and enhanced services for City residents with the need to ensure long-term financial stability and invest in the City’s infrastructure. In the coming year, the City will fully fund the Capital Plan’s recommended level in the first year of the budget, and invest an unprecedented $253.4 million in General Fund support for smart, responsible capital investments based on the recommendations of the City’s Ten-Year Capital Plan.
In addition to making strategic one-time investments, this budget also continues to grow the City’s reserves to offset the impact if an economic downturn does occur. By the end of June 2017, the City will have $297.4 million across its General Reserve, Budget Stabilization Reserve, and Rainy Day Reserve. These reserves function as the City’s savings account, protecting the City from economic uncertainty and helping continue to strengthen San Francisco’s credit rating.
The City Charter requires the Mayor submit a balanced budget proposal by the first working day in June. To deliver this two-year consensus budget proposal, Mayor Lee worked with the Board of Supervisors and heard directly from residents and community leaders in all 11 Supervisorial districts, and met with hundreds of residents, nonprofit organizations, City Commissioners, labor organizations, business owners, and advocates to discuss priorities and address concerns. Mayor Lee will continue to work with the Board of Supervisors to develop the best possible balanced budget for the City and County of San Francisco over the next month.
The Mayor’s proposed balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2015-16 and 2016-2017 is available online, go to:
http://sfmayor.org/index.aspx?page=880.