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As continuing part of OO's value added journalism, here's the live reporting threads for the Council's "budget study sessions" held this week on Wednesday and Thursday. OO's reporting is available for free and publicly, but subscribers receive special features, like

OPD Chief Mitchell Proposes to Reverse Armstrong's Pursuit Policy, Modify Supervisory Permission OPD Chief Floyd Mitchell proposed formal changes to the OPD pursuit policy at the Oakland Police Commission [OPC] last Thursday night. The move tops nearly a year's worth of public questions on the policy

*after this article was written, the City announced a significant error in calculating the OPD budget. An update here also had errors. For accuracies sake, all previous numbers will be struck through so that the correct current proposed mayoral budget data are shown. City Continues Two-Tiered Homeless Encampment Eviction Process

*after this article was written, the City announced a significant error in calculating the OPD budget. An update here also had errors. After this was published as well, the third quarter financials were published, indicating that the City did a better job of reigning in OPD overspending in FY 24-25

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

As election season and campaign spending recede with Lee's win, it's time to get back to Council happenings. Cop Cars on Hold and Tariff Timelines Loom as Equipment Services Fund Battle Heats Up The ongoing struggle between the Finance Department, led by Schaaf-appointed Director Erin Roseman,

Barbara Lee is almost certainly the victor in the Special Election to appoint a Mayor to finish the remainder of Sheng Thao's term held on April 15. In the current count of about 94K votes, Lee leads Taylor by around 5k votes. Lee holds slightly more than 50%

The first two tranches of votes were tallied last night in the special election race that will determine a new Mayor to run out the last of recalled Mayor Sheng Thao's term that ends in 2026. The race will also determine the replacement in Oakland's District

Due to the elections Tuesday, the meeting was rescheduled as a special meeting for Monday. —City Administrator Gives Cautious Support for Bringing Measure U Bonds to Market in Fall in Council Report Council, OakDOT and Housing and Community Development have been anxious to receive news about whether or not the

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]

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

Oakland’s election landscape has been unusual in the last several years— the impact of a mayoral recall has mixed with races for vacated offices with visible presence of large amounts of tech, finance and real estate/landlord money from outside of the city. Candidates have ranged from a fired