San Francisco gets unexpected $185 million in property tax revenue

SAN FRANCISCO (KTVU) - City leaders say an excess of funds is the kind of problem that seldom comes up. So, now that the city has found itself with an unexpected $185 million windfall from excess property tax revenue, the debate over how to spend that money is getting underway.

Inside City Hall, the Coalition On Homelessness visited supervisors, urging them to follow the idea pitched by Mayor London Breed, to use the money to help resolve homelessness and the city's housing crisis.

"We're really pushing that that funding be prioritized for homeless people. And we're walking around and talking to folks. We're also pushing that the supervisors grow the supplemental so that they can meet other needs that have come up, like child care and education," said Jennifer Friedenbach from the Coalition on Homelessness.

Educators and parents had been counting on money from voter-approved initiatives to increase teacher pay and expand student services and pay for childcare and early education.

Those initiatives are currently tied up in court. So, educators are pushing for $60 million of that windfall money be used to make sure those promises are fulfilled.

"We know that there are really important things that need to come from that fund, and we're not competing with them. We believe that everybody needs their fair share," said Susan Solomon United Educators of San Francisco

Supervisor Sandra Fewer is proposing a plan to set aside a portion of the money, $13.5 million for education. What they need now is bridge money in this funding. What they need in '20 and '21 is a different money, we can get it from a different source and I think you'll find that a lot of us on the board are committed to doing that," said Fewer.

Supervisors are expected to decide how to spend that money next month.