Just Recovery
- Hosted a cultural strategist focused on equity in navigating permitting pathways and lowering existing barriers for Lake Merritt BIPOC and low-income event organizers and vendors
- Supported community organizations to conduct outreach, assist small/local businesses with building education and capacity on holistic community safety, and engage with BIPOC entrepreneurs to create community and engage/inform in city processes
- Led City Council budget amendments to close $360 million deficit in the FY ‘23-25 Biennial Budget and $170 million deficit in the FY ‘24-25 Midcycle Budget while preserving critical city services such as community safety and affordable housing.
- Authored and passed California’s strongest city-level COVID-19 eviction moratorium, and subsequent legislation to responsibly sunset the moratorium while adding $1 million in tenant legal services in the FY ‘23-25 Biennial Budget
- Authored and passed COVID-19 grocery worker hazard pay $5 wage bonus covering 2,000 frontline workers
- Authored and negotiated a progressive business tax to modernize Oakland’s outdated tax system and raise $20 million in critical revenue for city services. Measure T was passed by voters in November 2022.
- Supported small businesses during COVID by authoring legislation that provided: eviction protection to small businesses and nonprofits, emergency grants of up to $10,000 to businesses along the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route, and a new program to upgrade and repair facilities and storefronts
- Created the Department of Workplace & Employment to enforce Oakland’s laws for a fair workplace and equitable contracting
- Advanced equitable economic development by securing a community benefits agreement for the renovation of the Kaiser Convention Center and developing a framework for the Howard Terminal Project to ensure community benefits, affordable housing, seaport compatibility and fiscal responsibility