Thanks to Lurie, my baby will get free child care. But the plan comes with a catch

Mayor Daniel Lurie just put $36,000 into the pockets of thousands of San Francisco families — including mine. Lurie’s expansion of child-care subsidies, announced last week , will ease the crushing expense of raising children in the city. As my wife and I provide for our 6-month-old daughter, Xiomara, we’re going to need every penny we can get, and the $3,027 per month child care that will be granted to families of four making less than $230,000 a year is a blessing. As a parent, I’m grateful. But as a journalist covering City Hall, I’m wary: I can easily see the influx of hundreds of families overburdening the child-care network. And I can also see the expiration date for the program, which is being paid for through a one-time surplus of funds found in the couch cushions of 2018’s Proposition C. Its time will run out in 2032. Luckily for us, that’s ample time for my daughter to benefit. And while childcare providers say they’re ready for a surge of babies and toddlers to waddle into their arms, the city’s certified daycares and preschools may soon feel the strain. When my wife, Anna, and I began planning for Xiomara’s care after parental leave, we pored over daycare and nanny-share options, searching for something affordable, safe, and enriching — we’d already seen how time with other kids encouraged our daughter to sit and crawl for the first time. Most providers for infants charge more than $2,000 a month. For child-care providers in the city’s Early Learning for All network — which uses city-provided curricula to prepare toddlers for school — the cost is even higher: a jaw-dropping $3,027 monthly. For years, the city has provided child-care subsidies for low-income families. Those families eagerly snapped up available Early Learning for All seats, and waiting lists swelled. Former supervisors Norman Yee and Jane Kim authored the 2018 ballot measure, Prop. C, which single-handedly mopped up the wait and boosted the pay of child-care staff. Now, San Francisco’s annual staff turnover rate for child-care providers is 17%, better than the state average of 22% to 26%, according to the Department of Early Childhood. “When you talk to any parent of young children, they want quality early-education programs, people who know what they’re doing. Yet no one wants to pay for it,” Yee said. Prop. C fixed that problem. And while there has been a 50% subsidy for families in San Francisco’s lower-middle income range, as measured by the area median income, Anna and I didn’t qualify, by just a hair. That’s a common story, according to Yensing Sihapanya, executive director of Family Connections Centers , one of the city’s large child-care providers, with centers near every neighborhood. “If you make 20 dollars over that limit, then you get nothing,” Sihapanya said. She sees families like mine every month. Before Lurie’s announcement Thursday, middle-income earners like my family — often dubbed the “ missing middle ” by lawmakers due to their flight from the city — had yet to benefit from Prop. C’s taxation of commercial real estate for the benefit of children. Those folks are sandwiched in a tough spot — not low-income enough to qualify for subsidies, but not wealthy enough to hang onto the fleeting hope of raising a San Francisco kid. Anna and I are hanging onto that dream. Our rent is affordable enough that a steep child-care bill, while forcing some tradeoffs, would not make us flee the city. But anyone living in San Francisco long enough has seen friends and loved ones move away as their families grow. Take my cousin Jake Rodriguez and his wife, Alivia, who are raising a 10-year-old son, Mortimer. Jake is a theater sound designer, working off and on for the American Conservatory Theater and Berkeley Repertory Theater, and Alivia is a dietician-turned-nurse in SoMa. Even with a rent-controlled apartment on Shotwell Street, with rent frozen during the first dot-com bust of the 1990s, they spent roughly one-third of their combined incomes on a Montessori daycare in South of Market when Mortimer was born. “We ate it,” Jake said. Jake told me it would’ve been a “game changer” if Lurie’s middle-income child-care subsidy existed when Mortimer was a tot. When they looked for a larger apartment in San Francisco so their son could have his own room, the extra money spent on child care put the rent out of reach. Instead, Jake’s family moved to Richmond in the East Bay when Mortimer was 4. My family lost easy proximity to loved ones; the city lost two dedicated workers, a family of Giants fans with creative hearts. The city knows this problem well. Prop. C was caught up in a legal limbo until 2021 , which allowed the city to collect the taxes but not spend them. Jenny Lam, a spokesperson for the Department of Early Childhood, told me the agency needed several years to ramp up child-care staffing citywide, which currently serves 9,100 children. The number of families enrolled in city-subsidized child care is expected to grow by 500 annually as the program expands. “This is what we’ve been building toward for years now, and we’re ready,” Lam said. In anticipation of growing demand, the Department of Early Childhood used Prop. C funds to help child care providers hire more staff. They are also training daycare centers to join the Early Learning for All network, helping them develop school-ready programming so they qualify. These are often the little mom-and-pop daycare centers with homespun banners you might spot in your neighborhood. Major providers were beefed up too. Mark Ryle is CEO of Wu Yee Children’s Services, which counts a dozen daycare centers in its network. They’re hoping to leverage Prop. C funds to build a location at the edge of the Tenderloin, at 1101 Sutter St., he said. While the Department of Early Childhood says it’s poised for the surge of families, Ryle said it was a herculean effort to bring smaller daycares up to speed with the city’s requirements so they can join the Early Learning for All program. “I think it would be inauthentic to say we know exactly how we’re going to support every child that’s going to come through in expanded capacity,” he said. But his staff is determined, because “we can’t afford to lose a single minute of a child’s life in that regard.” There are 700 families on the city’s waitlist for child-care providers, though there are roughly 1,000 slots available. The discrepancy is partially due to there being a higher demand for infant-age day care yet more open slots for toddlers. But the disconnect also comes from another problem my wife and I encountered: Parents don’t always like the location or the vibe of the daycares with open slots. We want Xio close to home, and so we gravitated toward a daycare just around the corner, in Cayuga Terrace, that offers Spanish-language immersion. But there’s a catch: It won’t be available until at least June. She may attend another daycare farther away while we wait. Now imagine this same scenario scaling to the expected 1,000-plus families that will qualify for the new subsidies in the coming years. The competition for slots could make SFUSD’s school-lottery scramble look calm and orderly. Lurie’s subsidy will last Xio until she hits pre-K. Then, in 2032, it will dry up. Prop. C wasn’t disbursing funds while it was mired in a legal challenge, one that was ultimately rejected . That allowed the city to save up a pot of $500 million, a one-time windfall that bolstered the proposition’s annual tax take-in. But the city has no plan for what comes after that pot is empty. After his State of the City speech Wednesday, Lurie was vague when answering a reporter’s question about where the next funding stream will come from, raising the possibility of a state subsidy. Similarly, the Department of Early Childhood didn’t have an answer. The speech leaned heavily on the child-care expansion as a central plank of the mayor’s new affordability agenda. As he spoke, I listened among the crowd at Rossi Park and thought of all the advantages I could now afford for Xio — more college savings, help with school if she lagged behind, and even a palpable release of stress over affording the basics. “This is going to remove a huge burden for working parents,” Lurie told the crowd. “And we’re not going to take four years to roll this out — we’re going to be the first major city in the nation to actually get it done.” Ryle hopes private donors like the Haas Foundation, Tipping Point, or Crankstart will chip in by the time the funding expires in six years. Maybe the Board of Supervisors or Lurie will propose a new tax. Or maybe, this dream of universal child care will vanish as quickly as it appeared. Here’s hoping our little Xiomara won’t be among the last San Franciscans to enjoy the benefit. This story has been updated with the correct number of daycare centers operated by Wu Yee Children’s Services.

San Francisco’s proposed budget siphons funds for affordable child care access

Tracy Tsiropoulos, parent of a 2-year-old, found herself on both ends of San Francisco’s child care crunch.



As an off-and-on early childhood worker for the past decade, she—with her husband&#8217;s income factored in—made too much to qualify for subsidized child care, but too little to afford it out of pocket.&nbsp;



In order to look after her daughter, Tsiropoulos worked from her San Francisco home as an operations manager for yoga studios instead of using her degree in and passion for early childhood education. But once her daughter began walking, Tsiropoulos was “white-knuckling” through the days waiting for child care she could afford.&nbsp;



San Francisco’s high cost of living combined with low availability of spots for infants and toddlers means both large waitlists and exorbitant child care costs that <a href="https://www.childrenscouncil.org/families/understanding-child-care/child-care-costs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">can reach $29,000 a year, per kid</a>.



But last July, Tsiropoulos qualified for Wu Yee Children’s Services, a nonprofit child care service throughout the city, after the income qualifications expanded for subsidized care, helping families like hers in the middle zone. Because of that, she was able to return to work at Pacific Primary four months ago—with a $10 hourly pay bump, in stark contrast to when she worked there eight years ago.&nbsp;



“It’s a huge relief to sustain a decent life in San Francisco,” Tsiropoulos said. “I would definitely not be here providing high-quality care if I didn’t have day care that was covered.”



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1667" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-175826" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-300x200.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-650x433.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-370x247.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-450x300.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-20x13.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-185x123.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-740x493.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-400x267.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-225x150.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-900x600.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/FEATURED1_UniversalChildcareCut-72x48.jpg 72w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A child plays alone at Family Connections Centers&#8217; Early Childhood Program in San Francisco on Aug. 3, 2022. | Camille Cohen/The Standard</figcaption></figure>



This was all made possible by a June 2018 ballot measure, Proposition C, which enacted a commercial-vacancy tax in the hopes of raising $100 million or more per year to provide universal child care to San Francisco families. Advocates envisioned a comprehensive program, including stipends for parents who rely on day care as well as higher wages for caregivers.



A lawsuit and other pandemic-era delays waylaid Prop. C’s full implementation, and its beneficiaries only began to see results in the past year or so. And now, five years after San Francisco voters enshrined it in city law, budget deficits may put universal child care further out of reach.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-rise-of-baby-c">The Rise of ‘Baby C’</h2>



San Francisco is notoriously short on children; as the cliche goes, there are <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/san-francisco-dogs-outnumber-kids-voters/#:~:text=A%20total%20of%2022%25%20of,the%20largest%20group%20at%2064%25.">more dogs than kids under 18</a>. It’s unclear how many families require services like day care, but the city’s population of toddlers keeps dropping. Between April 2020 and July 2022, <a href="https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/article/san-francisco-population-data-18140254.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">San Francisco saw a nearly 12% decrease in residents under the age of 5.</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;



The existing early childhood education system—in essence, caring for and teaching kids up to age 5—is complicated, <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/who-carries-the-biggest-child-care-burden-in-san-francisco/article_ad3ddb16-4fe4-11ed-bafd-df1ca14c0541.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">riddled with agonizing waitlists for families</a> and <a href="https://www.frbsf.org/economic-research/publications/economic-letter/2021/april/parental-participation-in-pandemic-labor-market/?utm_source=mailchimp&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=economic-letter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">high costs that drive parents out of the workforce</a>. This was the genesis of Prop. C—widely referred to as “Baby C,”



to prevent confusion with another Prop. C enacted six months later.&nbsp;



<a href="https://sfoece.org/2021/04/30/the-california-state-supreme-court-upholds-proposition-c/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">After Baby C’s funds were released</a> in April 2021, the <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/community/san-francisco-child-care-expensive-early-childhood-families/">Department of Early Childhood</a> raised wages to about $28 an hour for more than 2,000 educators while expanding child care facilities. It also raised the subsidy eligibility to families making 110% of area median income, or $152,000 for a family of four.



But now, only two years later, Mayor London Breed’s <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/san-francisco-mayor-proposes-record-spending-despite-780m-deficit/">proposed budget</a> may take $30 million over the next two years from Baby C revenue to plug a $780 million deficit.&nbsp;



The mayor has also proposed altering the tax for commercial subleases in a bid to spur Downtown activity, costing early childhood initiatives another $17 million per year. In short, Prop. C’s funds could be siphoned off at both ends.



Early childhood education advocates went to City Hall with a gaggle of toddlers in tow to protest these proposed cuts this month.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1668" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-2500x1668.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-175829" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-2500x1668.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-300x200.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-2048x1366.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-650x434.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-370x247.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-800x534.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-450x300.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-20x13.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-185x123.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-740x494.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-400x267.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-225x150.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-900x600.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/INLINED1_UniversalChildcareCut-72x48.jpg 72w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People gather at a rally against proposed cuts to “Baby” Prop C. at City Hall on Thursday. | Isaac Ceja/The Standard</figcaption></figure>



“This is not the time to cut back on our commitment to children in San Francisco,” said Monica Walters, CEO of Wu Yee Children’s Ser...

Mayor Breed accused of gutting San Francisco Ethics Commission after FBI probe

Mayor London Breed has been accused of gutting the San Francisco Ethics Commission in the wake of <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/criminal-justice/indicted-executive-fingers-ex-boss-in-san-francisco-nuru-corruption-case/">high-profile indictments</a> of former city officials.



The first round of San Francisco’s budget review process saw sparks fly as members of the Board of Supervisors’ Budget Committee slammed the spending plan recommended for the city’s ethics watchdog by the Mayor’s Office.



The Ethics Commission’s Acting Executive Director Gayathri Thaikkendiyil presented the recommended budget as including significant reductions in operating funds and staff over the next two fiscal years, particularly to the agency’s ethics training program for city employees and enforcement division.&nbsp;



“We&#8217;re essentially looking at reduced staffing by 47%,” said Thaikkendiyil, describing the reduction of 16 out of the agency’s current 34 positions as significantly impacting its ability to promote transparency and accountability in city government.



The committee presentation follows <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/city-hall/san-francisco-ethics-watchdog-decries-severe-cuts-under-mayors-budget/">a statement released June 5</a> by Commission President Yvonne Lee denouncing the cuts and contrasting the agency’s budget with those of other, larger departments whose budgets have increased.&nbsp;



That statement also outlined impacts, including a return to a backlog in cases investigated by the enforcement division and the possible cessation of public and press access to campaign finance activity during the 2024 election period.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1667" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-137400" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-2500x1667.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-300x200.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-650x433.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-370x247.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-800x533.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-450x300.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-20x13.jpg 20w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-185x123.jpg 185w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-740x493.jpg 740w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-400x267.jpg 400w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-1600x1067.jpg 1600w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-225x150.jpg 225w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-900x600.jpg 900w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/INLINED2_0313BOSPreview.jpg-72x48.jpg 72w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 2500px) 100vw, 2500px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Supervisor Hillary Ronen speaks outside San Francisco City Hall on Feb. 28, 2023. | Michaela Vatcheva for The Standard</figcaption></figure>



After the presentation, committee member Hillary Ronen rhetorically asked, “How many city employees were indicted in the last five years by the FBI? [&#8230;] I think I can name, like, five off the top of my head. And yet despite that, the mayor&#8217;s gutting the ethics department?”



Ronen described the cuts as “extremely alarming,” asking Breed’s Budget Director Anna Duning for an explanation.&nbsp;



Duning explained the agency had started a number of programs in past years staffed with temporary positions that are expiring, and the department is presenting many of them as cuts.&nbsp;



“Our goal is to work with the new director coming on with the Ethics Commission to understand which of these positions should be funded on an ongoing basis,” Duning told the committee. “These weren&#8217;t necessarily cuts, just not an extension of those positions at this time. [&#8230;] There was no intention to gut the department.”&nbsp;



The committee is doing a first round of reviews of department budgets this week, and some, like the Ethics Commission, will likely elicit debate between Breed and the supervisors in a rough budget year where the city faces a budget deficit now estimated at $744 million.&nbsp;



Other proposed budgets sure to incite controversy include those for <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/san-francisco-mayor-budget-faces-resistance-drugs-homeless/">the police department</a> and the <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/parents-angry-childcare-cuts-san-francisco-supervisors-mayor-budget/">Department of Early Childhood</a>. Supervisor Myrna Melgar will be holding a press conference tomorrow over concerns about the latter agency’s budget at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at City Hall.&nbsp;



A second pass of departmental reviews, this time augmented by reports from the Supervisors’ Budget and Legislative Analyst&#8217;s Office, will take place over next week. The board must approve a city budget by July 31, and final deliberations are expected to take place June 28.

San Francisco parents furious with Breed’s proposed budget cuts

Hundreds of early child care and food resource providers, employees, volunteers and clients showed up at Tuesday’s meeting of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors to oppose $50 million in cuts made to the budget for the city’s Department of Early Childhood.



The department is getting a 13.5% haircut in Mayor London Breed&#8217;s <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/san-francisco-mayor-proposes-record-spending-despite-780m-deficit/">planned budget</a>, one of the largest departmental cuts by both dollar amount and percentage next fiscal year. The Port of San Francisco and the Mayor’s Office face similar cuts.&nbsp;



The proposed cuts represent, in part, changes that Breed wants to make to “Baby C,” a tax on commercial property leases approved by voters as Proposition C in 2018.&nbsp;



Breed’s office is proposing to suspend the tax for subleased spaces in order to incentivize the opening of new businesses Downtown. The move would reduce overall revenue from the tax by $17 million a year and requires passage of additional legislation by a majority of the board.



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Supporters of early childcare programs contend the cuts threaten infrastructure for child care facilities, a future pathway for the training of child care educators and the ability to ensure that child care teacher wages can keep up with inflation, among other needs.&nbsp;



Dozens of supporters offered testimony during public comment, in English, Chinese, Spanish, Tagalog and other languages, taking up almost three hours.&nbsp;



Jenny Pearlman, speaking on behalf of the Family Resource Center Alliance, urged supervisors “to find other ways to balance the budget rather than taking a disproportionate share from funding for children and families”—adding that cuts to the early child care agency are “the largest of any major department.”&nbsp;



Clare Grady, a mother and District 2 resident described the cuts as “Pixar-villain-level nonsense” that would make it “even more difficult for low- and middle-income citizens to raise our families here in the city.”&nbsp;



Jeff Cretan, a spokesperson for Breed, told The Standard that collections of the tax from previous years had given the city’s early child care agency a significant surplus and that there will be no reduction in current levels of services.&nbsp;



“It’s not impacting any of our current programs, and filling those office vacancies with more tax-paying businesses will help solidify those services in the long run,” Cretan said.&nbsp;

San Francisco mayor proposes record spending despite $780M deficit

Mayor London Breed’s budget proposal ramps up spending on homelessness and the police department and grows San Francisco&#8217;s budget by $612 million from the current year to $14.6 billion for the next fiscal year, which begins on July 1.



The proposed increase, unveiled in a speech at City Hall Wednesday, comes as the city faces a projected two-year deficit of <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/politics/city-hall/san-franciscos-deficit-swells-to-780m-in-latest-sign-of-budget-distress/">$780 million</a> in the general fund, which accounts for its discretionary spending.



In the coming fiscal year, Breed is proposing a 1% increase to $6.86 billion in San Francisco’s general fund; in the following year, general fund spending is projected to breach $7 billion. To offset higher spending, Breed’s budget dips into budget reserves, relies on other sources of funding and lays out cuts in select city departments.&nbsp;



“I’m really proud that in balancing this budget, we were still able to deliver for our nonprofit workers, our public safety officials and other things, even though we’re facing a budget deficit,” Breed said her speech. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1128" height="752" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1BreedBudgetReveal053123-035.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-165909" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1BreedBudgetReveal053123-035.jpg 1128w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1BreedBudgetReveal053123-035.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/1BreedBudgetReveal053123-035.jpg?resize=768,512 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1128px) 100vw, 1128px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Mayor London Breed talks about the balanced budget and key priorities for the city in San Francisco, on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. | Justin Katigbak for The Standard</figcaption></figure>



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Breed’s budget proposal will be hashed out at the Board of Supervisors and must be signed by Aug. 1. If the board&#8217;s Budget Committee Chair Connie Chan’s statement on the budget proposal is any indication, the negotiation process could prove contentious.



“I will go through every line item, and ask each and every city department how they will spend our public dollars and deliver the results we all deserve,&#8221; Chan said in a statement. &#8220;They all will be held accountable, dollar for dollar.&#8221;



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To balance the budget, the proposed spending increase is paired with departmental cuts that include a reduction of certain contracts and decreased salary budgets by eliminating vacant positions. The proposed budget funds salaries and benefits for 33,476 city employees next year, a 0.8% increase in the labor force compared with last year.&nbsp;



As part of her budget instructions to departments, the mayor required general fund budget reductions of 5% next year and 8% the year after.&nbsp;



The departments that are seeing the biggest increases in year-over-year funding include the Department of Public Health, the Airport Commission, the Department of Public Works and the Municipal Transportation Agency.&nbsp;



Those seeing the biggest losses by dollar amount include the San Francisco Port, the Department of Early Childhood and the Office of the Mayor.



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Cuts also include reduced funding for the city’s 10-year capital plan. Instead of wholesale elimination of individual programs, departments generally proposed marginal cuts across a variety of programs and spending areas. The city is also dipping into an additional $76 million in reserve funds, as well as $90 million in previously appropriated reserve funds, to close the budget shortfall.&nbsp;



In order to sustain or increase spending in priority areas while balancing the budget, Breed’s proposal also relies on some creative accounting, like shifting spending to non-general fund revenue sources like state funds and special tax funds.



The budget directs revenue from 2018’s Prop. C, known as Our City, Our Home, toward helping to fund efforts to combat homelessness. As proposed, Breed’s budget <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/public-health/homelessness/san-francisco-mayor-to-increase-homelessness-spending-despite-budget-deficit/">increases homelessness spending</a> from $672 million this year to $692.6 million next year. If approved, Breed has said the spending would help create 600 shelter beds and 545 housing units over the next year. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1507" height="1005" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-229-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-165900" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-229-1.jpg 1507w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-229-1.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-229-1.jpg?resize=768,512 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1507px) 100vw, 1507px" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">People in the crowed held up signs around housing including “Family and Tay Housing” during Mayor London Breed speech about the City's budget. | Justin Katigbak for The Standard</figcaption></figure>



That’s tied to an effort to <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/public-health/breed-to-fund-wellness-hubs-for-overdose-prevention-in-upcoming-budget/">boost funding for behavioral health and addiction initiatives</a>, including the addition of 30 beds for those with both mental health and substance abuse disorders, implementation of the state’s Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court system and three new wellness hubs for overdose prevention.&nbsp;



The city will rely on a portion of the <a href="https://develop.sfstandard.com/public-health/walgreens-to-pay-san-francisco-230m-for-opioid-crisis/">$350 million settlement</a> gained through litigation against pharma companies and Walgreens to help shift spending away from general revenue and start new programs.&nbsp;



The budget also allocates around $30 million in <a href="https://sfoece.org/2021/06/29/baby-prop-c-fact-sheet-legal-uses-and-allocations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">revenue from Baby Prop. C</a>, a tax measure to fund early childhood services, to the city’s Food Access Program, which supports food pantries and grocery vouchers.&nbsp;



On the public safety front, the mayor is <a href="https://www.sfexaminer.com/news/politics/london-breed-wants-sfpd-to-hire-200-new-cops-by-end-of-2024/article_fa4482c4-fbe8-11ed-a1e0-f364c1df2fea.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">proposing increased investment</a> for recruiting at the San Francisco Police Department with the goal of hiring 220 officers in the next two years. Her budget proposal also includes additional hiring and retention bonuses, boosting the number of police service aides and maintaining existing ambassador programs. 



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="2500" height="1667" src="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-233-2500x1667.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-165906" srcset="https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-233-2500x1667.jpg 2500w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-233-300x200.jpg 300w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-233-768x512.jpg 768w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-233-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-233-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-233-650x433.jpg 650w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-233-370x247.jpg 370w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-233-800x533.jpg 800w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/BreedBudgetReveal053123-233-450x300.jpg 450w, https://content-develop.sfstandard.com/wp-conten...

Asian Art Museum

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SF Civil Grand Jury

The Abatement Appeals Board provides a final review process for City permitting decisions. It ensures fair and efficient adjudication of permit-related disputes before an impartial panel. The board holds authority to make binding decisions on appeals concerning notices of abatement.

Abatement Appeals Board

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 1

Abatement Appeals Board Commissioner 2

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The Access Appeals Commission provides final reviews for a wide range of City permitting decisions. It ensures an efficient, fair, and expeditious permit issuance process through an impartial panel. The commission holds authority to make binding decisions on appeals related to City permits.

Access Appeals Commission

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 1

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 2

Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 3

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Access Appeals Commission Commissioner 5

The Adult Day Health Care Planning Council advises on the development and improvement of adult day health care services. It provides expertise in healthcare planning, policy recommendations, and program evaluation. Key responsibilities include assessing community needs and advising on service delivery enhancements.

Adult Day Health Care Planning Council

Adult Probation Department supervises individuals on probation and facilitates their reintegration into the community. It provides reentry and rehabilitative services, including victim restitution and financial assistance for crime victims. The department values public safety, offender rehabilitation, and community partnerships.

Cristel Tullock

The Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners evaluates arts and crafts applicants and monitors program compliance. It conducts studio visits and public screenings to ensure adherence to established criteria. Members also revise program criteria and undertake additional tasks as needed.

Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners

The Advisory Council on Human Rights advises on anti-discrimination laws and racial equity initiatives. It provides expertise on reparations and public policy impacts on Black communities. It guides efforts to establish partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities in San Francisco.

Advisory Council on Human Rights

San Francisco Airport manages air traffic operations and ensures safe aircraft movement. It provides parking facilities and maintains airport infrastructure to accommodate travelers and staff. The department oversees ground transportation and coordinates with airlines for efficient passenger services.

Mike Nakornkhet

The Airport Commission oversees policy and strategic planning for San Francisco International Airport. It makes key decisions on airport development projects and financial management. It ensures compliance with regulations and collaborates on initiatives like terminal naming.

Airport Commission

Airport Commission Commissioner 1

Malcolm Yeung

Jose F. Almanza

Mark Buell

Susan Leal

Airport Director

Animal Care and Control Department manages animal sheltering, adoption, and emergency response services. It enforces animal-related laws and regulations, ensuring the humane treatment and safety of animals. The department also provides public education on responsible pet ownership and animal welfare.

Animal Care and Control Department

Virginia Donohue

Animal Care and Control Department, Director

The San Francisco Arts Commission oversees the integration of arts into city life and ensures public access to cultural experiences. It makes decisions on public art programs and allocates grants to support local artists and performances. The commission actively shapes policies affecting the arts ecosystem in San Francisco.

Arts Commission Commissioner 1

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Debra Walker

Suzanne Ferras

Jessica Rothschild

Seth Brenzel

JD Beltran

Marcus Shelby

J Riccardo Benavides

Nabiel Musleh

Charles (Chuck) Collins

Lydia So

Arts Commission Commissioner 15

San Francisco Arts Commission invests in a vibrant arts community and shapes cultural policy. It enlivens the urban environment through public art programs and supports diverse artistic expressions. The commission facilitates meetings and discussions to engage the community in cultural development.

Ralph Remington

Arts Commission, Director of Cultural Affairs

The Asian Art Commission determines policy and administers the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco. It oversees museum operations and collaborates with the Asian Art Museum Foundation on fundraising efforts. Commissioners ensure the museum's strategic direction and financial sustainability.

Asian Art Commission

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Asian Art Commission Commissioner 25

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 26

Asian Art Commission Commissioner 27

Asian Art Museum showcases Asian art and culture through exhibitions and educational programs. It offers diverse collections and hosts special events to engage the community. The museum fosters cultural appreciation and understanding by providing access to its extensive art collections.

Dr. Soyoung Lee

Asian Art Museum, Director

The Assessment Appeals Board #1 hears property tax assessment appeals in San Francisco. It evaluates evidence presented by taxpayers and the Assessor to determine property values. The Board has the authority to make final decisions on assessments regardless of property type or value.

Assessment Appeals Board #1

Assessment Appeals Board #1 Commissioner 1

Assessment Appeals Board #1 Commissioner 2

Richard Lee

Stephen Wasserman

Adena Gilbert

Paul Bellar

Quirina Mitchell

Hilary Winslow

The Assessment Appeals Board #2 adjudicates property tax assessment appeals for San Francisco taxpayers. It evaluates evidence presented by taxpayers and the Assessor to determine accurate property values. The Board exercises authority to render final decisions on residential properties and specific real estate assessments.

Assessment Appeals Board #2

Assessment Appeals Board #2 Commissioner 1

Assessment Appeals Board #2 Commissioner 2

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Claire Ervin Lee

Louisa Mendoza

Joyce Lewis

Nicholas Goldman

Michelle Domingo

The Assessment Appeals Board #3 provides a platform for San Francisco taxpayers to contest property tax assessments. It conducts hearings where evidence from both taxpayers and the Assessor is evaluated. The Board makes binding decisions on property assessments based on presented evidence.

Assessment Appeals Board #3

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Marc Dickow

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Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 7

Assessment Appeals Board #3 Commissioner 8

Assesses property, applies exemptions, collects transfer taxes, and records official documents.

Assessor-Recorder

Joaquín Torres

The Ballot Simplification Committee ensures voter materials are clear and understandable. It reviews and revises ballot language to accurately reflect propositions and measures. The committee advises on simplifying complex legal and technical terms for voter comprehension.

Ballot Simplification Committee

The Bayview Hunters Point Citizens Advisory Committee provides policy advice on planning and land use matters in Zone 2 of Bayview Hunter's Point. It offers expertise in land use policies, zoning issues, and urban development. The committee advises the Board of Supervisors, City Boards, and commissions on relevant projects and initiatives.

Bayview Hunters Point Citizens Advisory Committee

The Behavioral Health Commission advises on mental health policy implementation and quality service delivery. It reviews and advocates for effective mental health services, ensuring policies meet community needs. It educates stakeholders to integrate mental health considerations into broader health strategies.

Behavioral Health Commission

The Bicycle Advisory Committee advises on making bicycling safer and more accessible in San Francisco. It provides recommendations to city agencies to address traffic violence and climate change. The committee advocates for cyclists and addresses biking-related complaints.

Bicycle Advisory Committee

The Board of Appeals provides final review for a wide range of City permitting decisions. It ensures an efficient and fair permit issuance process through an impartial panel. The Board exercises authority to make binding decisions on appeals.

Jefferson Robert Eppler

John Trasviña

Jose Lopez

Rick Swig