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Budget Focus: Increase for OPD Sworn Staffing as Oversight Bodies Are Slashed, IAD Shift to CPRA Becomes Unlikely: Update: City/Mayor Admit $30 MM Error in Sworn Staffing Budget

Budget Focus: Increase for OPD Sworn Staffing as Oversight Bodies Are Slashed, IAD Shift to CPRA Becomes Unlikely: Update: City/Mayor Admit $30 MM Error in Sworn Staffing Budget

Despite ongoing budget woes attributed to OPD overspending, including a down-grade of Oakland's bond rating by at least one agency, Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins’ administration proposes increasing the General Purpose Fund [GPF] spending on OPD in the FY 2025-27 biennial budget. Jenkins’ proposed FY 2025-26 OPD budget is
Jaime Omar Yassin
City Departures & Head Start Turmoil as Lee Enters Office; City Moves to Settle Suit on '22 Election Errors; New Funds Would Carry Wood St Cabins/RV Site to Program Conclusion

City Departures & Head Start Turmoil as Lee Enters Office; City Moves to Settle Suit on '22 Election Errors; New Funds Would Carry Wood St Cabins/RV Site to Program Conclusion

Key City Departures as Lee is Poised to Assume Mayor’s Seat Three high level administrators are in the process of leaving City of Oakland employment as Oakland’s new Mayor Barbara Lee prepares to take office. Finance Director Erin Roseman is resigning, effective mid-June; and Head Start Director Diveena
Jaime Omar Yassin
New Web of Recall Linked Expenditure Committees Spend Hundreds of Thousands For Taylor, Taylor Linked D2 Candidates

New Web of Recall Linked Expenditure Committees Spend Hundreds of Thousands For Taylor, Taylor Linked D2 Candidates

Five shadowy Independent Expenditure Committees have raised and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars supporting Loren Taylor for Oakland Mayor and D2-linked candidates ahead of the April 15 Special Election, public records show. Empower Oakland [EO]; Revitalize the East Bay [REB]; Better Bay Area [BBA]; Responsible Leadership for Oakland [Responsible]
Jaime Omar Yassin
Grim Outlook for Affordable Housing and OakDOT Without Measure U Bond Sales in '25; Ballers/Raimondi Lease Renewal on Way to Council; Highest Police "on leave" in Year of Tracking

Grim Outlook for Affordable Housing and OakDOT Without Measure U Bond Sales in '25; Ballers/Raimondi Lease Renewal on Way to Council; Highest Police "on leave" in Year of Tracking

OakDOT and HCD Describe Disastrous Outcomes for City Infrastructure and Affordable Housing Without Measure U Bond Sales This Year During fraught budget deliberations last Summer, officials suggested that one outcome of budgeting with future Coliseum sale revenue could be a downgrading of City bond ratings that could reduce their potential
Jaime Omar Yassin
Hesitation at Rules Committee Over Sanctuary City Reaffirmation; CPRA Director Muir Warns of Defunding Agency in Final Address to OPC

Hesitation at Rules Committee Over Sanctuary City Reaffirmation; CPRA Director Muir Warns of Defunding Agency in Final Address to OPC

Rules Committee’s Caution on Agendizing “Sanctuary City Affirmation” May Reflect Governor's Concerns on Trump/MAGA Retaliation Interim City Council President Noel Gallo promised residents he would bring legislation addressing Oakland's potentially precarious situation for immigrant residents last month at an immigrants' rights event. So
Jaime Omar Yassin
CMs Will Introduce New  Revenues to Keep 4 Fire Stations Open; a New Financial Report Projects Deficit Amid Ongoing Cost-Cutting but City Admin Says Budget Will be Balanced by Fiscal Year's End

CMs Will Introduce New Revenues to Keep 4 Fire Stations Open; a New Financial Report Projects Deficit Amid Ongoing Cost-Cutting but City Admin Says Budget Will be Balanced by Fiscal Year's End

At a March 4 Council meeting, CMs Janani Ramachandran, Rebecca Kaplan and Zac Unger are scheduled to introduce revenue-allocating legislation that would keep open four Oakland firehouses slated for closure in December’s spending cut plan. The proposed OFD re-funding plan—which the City Administrator’s Office [CAO] supports and
Jaime Omar Yassin
CMs Announce Plan to Keep Fire Stations Open—But Issues Around New Revenue & Contract Cancellations May Grow; CAO Rescinds Significant Number of Layoffs, Sends New Layoff Notices; Police Commission Budget Reduced to Level of one OPD Officer's Salary

CMs Announce Plan to Keep Fire Stations Open—But Issues Around New Revenue & Contract Cancellations May Grow; CAO Rescinds Significant Number of Layoffs, Sends New Layoff Notices; Police Commission Budget Reduced to Level of one OPD Officer's Salary

A week of visibly colliding city hall interests has left questions about the future of the cost-cutting City budgetary actions taken in December by the City Administrator’s Office [CAO] and supported by the City Council. Last Tuesday morning, a coalition of unions held a rally in front of city
Jaime Omar Yassin