With time running out for San Francisco’s transportation agency to patch a $322 million deficit, top brass on Tuesday called for wide-ranging cuts that could affect station cleanliness and maintenance of buses and trains.
“The work ahead will not be easy,” wrote Bree Mawhorter, chief financial officer of San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, in a memo to staff and the Board of Directors. She instructed all divisions to cut between 5% and 7% of their budgets, generating enough savings to shore up the transit system until voters decide whether to fund it long-term.
For the past year, officials at SFMTA have faced a deepening financial quandary. Riders have slowly returned since the pandemic, but not at the level that Muni saw in 2019. COVID emergency funding is about to dry up. Although state lawmakers are pressing for a regional transit tax to hit Bay Area ballots next fall, and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie is planning a separate local revenue measure to support Muni, none of that money is guaranteed…