At its Tuesday, April 08, 2003 meeting, the San Francisco Health Commission voted to not approve a second round of "contingency" cuts.

Though the decision is the responsibility of the Mayor's Office and the Board of Supervisors, the Health Commission's action is important in removing a veil of legitimacy to the cuts.

In other news, the 50% reduction in Primary Care Health Center hours is off the cut list, at least temporarily. However, reduction of Health Center services by cuts in doctors' hours is still under consideration.

The Health Commission resolution reads:

RESOLUTION OF THE HEALTH COMMISSION REJECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH'S CONTINGENCY BUDGET FOR FY 03-04, AND URGING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, ORGANIZED LABOR, AND RESIDENTS TO WORK WITH THE MAYOR AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS TO AVOID DEVASTATING CUTS TO THE COUNTY'S SAFETY NET SERVICES.

WHEREAS, the City and County of San Francisco is facing a $350 million shortfall for FY 03-04, and the Mayor's Budget Office has required that the Department prepare a contingency plan which would cut the Department's General Fund by 10% or $27 million dollars; and

WHEREAS, in the base budget the Department already absorbed $20 million dollars in unavoidable increases and decreased the General Fund usage of the Department by $18 million dollars; and

WHEREAS, the base budget already made large cuts to vital health programs including the reprogramming of the Mental Health Rehabilitation Facility (MHRF), increasing eligibility requirement for outpatient medication, reducing hospital based translation services, eliminating adult dental services, cutting important referral/education services, and outpatient drop-in substance abuse services, and eliminating contracts for emotional and practical peer support; and

WHEREAS, the Health Commission strongly encourages other City Departments to do their due diligence to identify budget reductions and contribute their fair share to addressing the City's budget crisis, and

WHEREAS, the Health Commission understands there is a proposal for City employees to pay their share of their retirement contribution to assist the City in balancing its budget; and

WHEREAS, the Health Commission appreciates the Department's attempt to further reduce its General Fund requirements in order to comply with the instructions of the Mayor's Budget Office; and

WHEREAS, the Health Commission believes that the proposed contingency cuts are counter to the Department's Strategic Plan and would be devastating to the safety net of San Francisco; and

WHEREAS, the Health Commission does not believe that alternative cuts exist in the Health Department budget that would be less harmful to health services in San Francisco than those proposed in the contingency budget; and

WHEREAS, the Health Commission also recognizes its own responsibility to maintain safety net health and public health services for San Francisco's most vulnerable residents; therefore be it

RESOLVED, that the Health Commission finds the Department of Public Health contingency cuts unacceptable; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Health commission urges the Board of Supervisors and the Mayor to support fee and license increases for the Department's Environmental Health Services division so that the Department can fully recoup the costs of provided these services; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED , that the Health Commission urges the business community and the residents of San Francisco to support additional revenue enhancing measures to prevent elimination of vital health services; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Health Commission strongly urges organized labor to agree that City staff pay their portion of their own retirement or agree to other concessions that would save the City approximately $80 million dollars; and be it

FURTHER RESOLVED, that although the Health Commission will not support any services cuts beyond those stipulated in the base budget, the Health Commission does wish for the Department to keep the Health Commission apprised on what cuts or augmentations the Mayor's Budget Office and/or the Board of Supervisors have made to the Health Department FY 03-04 budget.