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Politics & Policy

SF’s budget includes ‘enterprise departments’. Here’s what that means

A traveler checks his mobile phone while waiting to board a United flight to Honolulu at SFO in San Francisco, Calif. on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2020. (Getty Images) | Source: Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

A guidebook for city managers describes San Francisco’s government as “like a giant jigsaw puzzle.” The city’s six enterprise departments make up a huge chunk of the puzzle, and up to half of the city’s multibillion-dollar budget.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the San Francisco International Airport, the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, and the Port of San Francisco are four large agencies that are most recognized as enterprise departments. The Recreation and Parks Commission and the Fine Arts Museums Board of Trustees are also in this category, but their budgets are far smaller. 

Much like a business enterprise, SF’s enterprise departments earn revenues by charging fees for services: examples include Muni fares and water charges. That revenue is restricted in how it may be spent, and largely flows back into funds to support their own departments. They also have their own budget timelines and commissions that decide on spending. 

On May 2, Mayor London Breed submitted the first of two budget books that lay the groundwork for the city’s annual budgeting process. Here’s a look at the proposed budgets for each of the four major enterprise departments, and what role they play in the city. 

Public Utilities Commission

What do they do? The third-largest municipal utility agency in California, the SFPUC makes money by selling utility services, including electric power, water, and wastewater services, to customers both in the city and regionally. It also manages large wastewater and water supply systems that include tunnels, pipelines, treatment facilities and the Hetch Hetchy reservoir.  

What’s their budget like? 

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      What else should I know? 

        Municipal Transportation Agency

        What do they do? Pretty much anytime you step outside in San Francisco you interact with SFMTA. The agency is best known for the Muni system, which operates a diverse fleet of over 1,100 transit vehicles ranging from buses to cable cars. The agency also designs, builds and maintains San Francisco street and related infrastructure

        What’s their budget like?

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            What else should I know?

              San Francisco International Airport

              What do they do? SFO handles the largest number of air passengers in the Bay Area and is the second-largest airport in the state after the Los Angeles International Airport. It also hosts a globally significant aircraft maintenance facility, serving United Airlines along with forty other carriers.

              What’s their budget like?

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                    Port of San Francisco

                    What do they do? The Port of San Francisco manages 7.5 miles of bayside waterfront property in the city, from Fisherman’s Wharf to India Basin in the Bayview. While cargo facilities remain at Piers 80 and 92-96, much more of the agency’s portfolio is devoted to managing property for other uses, including real estate development. Other active maritime uses include cruise ship and regional ferry terminals. Attraction sites include Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39, and the Exploratorium.

                    What’s their budget like?

                      How are they governed? 

                        What else should I know?