Mayor London Breed of San Francisco put forth a budget proposal, Friday. Breed’s budget pencils out at 13.7 billion dollars — that’s 1.4 billion more than the previous year. The mayor plans to spend that money on pandemic-related costs, mental health care, and homelessness.
Mayor Breed is counting on voters to approve a business tax reform measure on the November 3 ballot in order to raise more revenue. And to help make ends meet, Breed’s budget is asking city workers to defer scheduled raises for the next two years.
Labor leaders have resisted the plan, however. They argue that workers already deferred portions of their wage increases earlier this year, and were struggling even before the virus hit in March. But the mayor says if unions don’t agree to the delays, the city will be forced to lay off workers and cut city services.
Another notable part of Breed’s proposal is to redirect $120 million in law enforcement funding. The Human Rights commission of San Francisco has made recommendations with input from the city’s Black residents. The money would fund more housing, mental health, employment, and education for Black citizens.
The proposed budget now goes to the Board of Supervisors for their consideration. The final budget must be signed no later than October 1.
