San Francisco to Cut Up to 1,400 City Jobs Amid $800M Budget Deficit

TL;DR:

• San Francisco faces an $800 million budget deficit, leading to a proposal to cut 1,400 city jobs.
• Most job cuts are vacant positions, but about 150 filled roles are at risk.
• Public safety funding remains stable, while other departments face a 15% spending reduction.
• The budget reallocates a 2018 homelessness tax for broader flexibility in addressing mental health, addiction, and homelessness.

San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie has unveiled a two-year, $15.9 billion budget proposal aimed at addressing an $800 million deficit by eliminating approximately 1,400 city jobs. While the majority of these positions are currently vacant, around 150 filled roles are at risk of being cut through attrition or direct elimination.

The proposed budget includes a 15% reduction in spending across most city departments, except for public safety agencies such as the police and fire departments, which will maintain their current funding levels.

In addition to job cuts, the budget plan calls for a $100 million decrease in contract and grant expenditures. Mayor Lurie emphasized the importance of maintaining core services, including public safety and cleanliness, while setting aside $400 million in reserves to mitigate potential reductions in federal and state grants.

The budget proposal also seeks to restructure the allocation of funds from a 2018 tax on the city's wealthiest companies, originally designated to combat homelessness.

• Mayor Lurie aims to remove fixed spending allocations to allow greater flexibility in addressing mental health, drug addiction, and homelessness.

City workers have expressed concern over the potential impact of job cuts on public services. Kristin Hardy, a clerk at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, noted that reductions could affect vital services such as mental health counseling and social work.