Corruption, just pure corruption in Oakland.
Recently, the voters of Oakland passed a sales tax increase. The purpose of the new money was to promote firefighting needs and law enforcement. So, how did they spend the money?
“Despite the passage of an additional sales tax to fund police and fire services, the budget would maintain the closure of two fire stations and a cap on police overtime — unpopular cuts that took effect in January after the sale of the Oakland Coliseum was delayed.
As the city faces an anticipated $260 million deficit, questions around federal funding and sharp increases in pension and benefit costs, Jenkins said the budget is the first step toward stability, but that more changes — including a potential parcel tax — could be on the way.
“[This is] Oakland’s pathway to fiscal stability,” he said. “We want to ensure that public safety is a priority and that we are doing a good job at our core statutory services.”
Is this answer a joke? Higher taxes for LESS cops and Less firefighters? Even CNN would take this as a joke—or a Bernie Maddow scam. Either way, the people of Oakland should demand their money back. What do you think?
Oakland Budget Keeps Fire Stations Closed, Police Cuts in Place Despite New Sales Tax
Katie DeBenedetti, KQED, 5/6/25 https://www.kqed.org/news/12038739/oakland-budget-keeps-fire-stations-closed-police-cuts-in-place-despite-new-sales-tax
Oakland is poised to extend some public safety service cuts through the next two years in order to balance a more than $200 million deficit over the next two years, according to an overview of the budget proposed Monday by Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins.
Despite the passage of an additional sales tax to fund police and fire services, the budget would maintain the closure of two fire stations and a cap on police overtime — unpopular cuts that took effect in January after the sale of the Oakland Coliseum was delayed.
As the city faces an anticipated $260 million deficit, questions around federal funding and sharp increases in pension and benefit costs, Jenkins said the budget is the first step toward stability, but that more changes — including a potential parcel tax — could be on the way.
“[This is] Oakland’s pathway to fiscal stability,” he said. “We want to ensure that public safety is a priority and that we are doing a good job at our core statutory services.”
Some of the most noteworthy cuts will be to public safety departments, which account for about 75% of the city’s unrestricted spending. The budget sets a $34 million cap on police overtime, down from the roughly $50 million the department has spent on extra hours in the past.
Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell said that the department has been able to pare down that spending by ending discretionary overtime since the city made large public safety in January, after determining the $60 million in revenue it expected to receive from the sale of the Oakland Coliseum wouldn’t be available by the end of the fiscal year.
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Mitchell said the proposed overtime budget will allow him to restore overtime staffing for large gatherings and events and respond to critical incidents. It also restores funding for one fire academy and three police academies during each of the next two years, which Mitchell said is key to helping the department cut overtime further.
OPD is just over 20 officers short of its guaranteed minimum staffing of 700 sworn officers.
“Getting us back to at least that 700 number [is] where we can staff different events without the use of overtime,” he said. “It’s going to take a little time to do that over the next two years, but this is an important first step that the mayor has put forward.”
Oakland’s continued fire cuts seem less welcome by department leaders. Two of the city’s 25 fire stations will remain shuttered on a rotating basis, saving about $11 million per year.
Fire Chief Damon Covington said the department plans to reopen the two stations in the fire-prone Oakland Hills that have been closed since January and a third that has been closed since 2022 for repairs.
Instead, the department will identify two other stations that can be closed while minimizing the impact on response times and service capacity as fire season approaches.
Seth Olyer, the fire department’s union president, said he’s frustrated with the budget proposal, especially after voters overwhelmingly approved the sales tax proposed during May’s special election, which he said he advocated for under the assumption that it would restore all fire services.
“The idea that Measure A was going to reopen and keep these firehouses open is exactly how I personally helped pass this measure,” he told KQED. “Oaklanders deserve fully staffed open fire houses all around the city, and it doesn’t look like that’s what the city is proposing right now.”
Jenkins said that the measure, which will generate $20 million this year, prevented more dire public safety cuts.
“Without Measure A passing, there would have been four fire stations closed,” he said.
The city also plans to eliminate over 400 positions, most of which are currently vacant and have remained unfilled in recent months because of the city’s ongoing hiring freeze. About 85 positions being cut are currently filled, but only about a dozen are expected to result in layoffs. Other employees might be eligible to move into a different city role.
One big question mark that looms over the proposal is about $40 million in revenue it relies on beginning in the 2027 fiscal year — money that could come from a potential parcel tax, which may appear on the June 2026 ballot if approved by city council.
“While the passage of such a measure is a risk, it is a necessary step toward a comprehensive structural balancing plan,” Jenkins, who will be succeeded by Mayor-elect Barbara Lee later this month, said in a statement.
He believes the budget marks the first step toward returning Oakland to a sustainable financial path.
“We are working very diligently to restore public safety in this city,” Jenkins said. “We see from the election that recently happened that residents are demanding that they want to feel safe in the city that they love. … and I definitely think[this budget] gets to the mayor-elect’s goals of prioritizing public safety.”
