For Immediate Release: July 2, 2024
Council President Bas and Her Budget Team Avert Drastic Cuts to Public Safety while Facing a Decades-Long Structural Deficit Head-on
Oakland, CA —This afternoon, the Oakland City Council passed the Council President Budget Team’s Public Safety Budget Motion and adopted a responsible, balanced midcycle budget for FY 24-25. This budget supports the greatest investment in public safety from police, fire and violence prevention among the options Council considered.
“It’s only by investing in community safety and our most vulnerable residents that we will achieve a safer, healthier, thriving Oakland. Despite grappling with a structural deficit decades in the making, this budget ensures we continue to make significant strides in reducing crime, cleaning up our streets, and fostering economic development to boost local revenue and job creation,” said Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas. “I am grateful to everyone in our City government who participated in developing the solutions reflected in this budget and to the City Council for voting in the best interest of the city and people we serve.”
While closing a $177M deficit, this balanced midcycle budget focuses on delivering effective, equitable services to Oaklanders rooted in our city’s values of racial equity, fiscal responsibility, transparency and results.
The adopted Midcycle Budget includes the following highlights:
Fiscal Responsibility: This budget includes a September 1 trigger date for a Contingency Budget if revenue from the sale of the Oakland Coliseum does not arrive by then; directs the City Administrator to work with the Council President & Finance Chair on a voluntary Disclosure Statement to our investors, and directs the City Administrator to come back to Council at a special meeting in late July/early August to review the Contingency Budget, including safety operations with Police, Fire and Violence Prevention Chiefs, and provide an update on the citywide Strategic Planning Process to address the structural deficit.
Police Department: Budgets for 678 police officer positions, three police academies, $39.1 million overtime budget, maintains Ceasefire Unit and Crime Reduction Teams, includes full staffing of 9-1-1, and restores 3 OPD civilian investigators.
Fire Department: All fire engines remain operational, and restores 1 Fire Captain; Freezes instead of deletes 9 Fire Inspectors.
Violence Prevention Dept: Adds 5 new Ceasefire positions, maintaining capacity to add new clients.
Community Safety Ambassadors: Invests $1.5 million in critical business corridors across the City.
Sideshow prevention in East Oakland & citywide: Adds $200,000 for traffic and environmental design prevention efforts.
Homelessness: Continues Oakland’s investments in affordable housing, tenant protections and homeless services, restores 1 Program Analyst II in Community Homelessness Services Division.
Community services: Maintains funding for all senior centers, animal shelters, and recreation programs. Supports illegal dumping removal, abandoned auto removal, fixing street signs, and repainting curbs and crosswalks.
Economic development: Funds new Film Initiative and investment in the downtown Convention Center.
Revenue-generation: Adds revenue generating positions including two Parking Control Technicians, Independent Audit to improve revenue collection, and exploration of a sales tax increase that could generate up to $20 million annually.
Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas led the City Council’s midcycle budget amendments with her Budget Team, consisting of Council President Pro Tempore Dan Kalb (District 1, North Oakland), Councilmember Carroll Fife (District 3, West Oakland) and Councilmember Kevin Jenkins (District 6, East Oakland).
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