Oakland City Council Adopts FY 2025-27 Biennial Budget and Maintenance of Effort Waivers

On June 11, 2025, the Oakland City Council held a special concurrent meeting to adopt the Fiscal Years 2025-27 biennial budget and related maintenance of effort (MOE) waivers. The meeting convened at 9:03 AM and adjourned at 12:08 PM. Councilmember Brown served as chair. Councilmember Houston participated remotely via AB 2449. Councilmember Fife was excused at 10:45 AM and did not vote. The council faced a $265 million deficit and approved a budget centered on core city services: public safety, clean streets, economic revitalization, homelessness prevention, parks, and ethics.

Public Comments & Testimony

• General Support and Concerns: Over 44 speakers addressed items 5 and 6 collectively. Many thanked the council for preserving senior services, homelessness prevention, and library funding. Speakers from East Oakland Senior Center, SOS Meals on Wheels, and Mercy Brown Bag urged maintaining hours and funding. Youth from Skyline High School advocated for library funding. Arts and culture advocates, including the Oakland Symphony and Ballet, criticized the elimination of the Cultural Affairs Manager position, calling arts a core economic and community service. The League of Women Voters supported limited public financing and ethics enforcement. Several commissioners and former commissioners (Public Ethics Commission, Measure Q oversight) urged adequate funding for audits and enforcement.
• Specific Positions:
  • Kevin Daly (Transport Oakland) urged early use of Measure U bond proceeds for paving to prevent sideshows.
  • Gail Wallace (League of Women Voters) supported public financing and ethics staffing.
  • Brooke Levin (Oakland Parks and Recreation Foundation, Measure Q co-chair) supported adding tree and park positions but requested clarity on one-time funding and audits.
  • David Peters criticized the use of one-time revenues and continuing overtime leaks, and opposed raiding the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.
  • Kelsey Knutson (Bay Area Community Services) and Julia Judge (BACS) supported the homelessness prevention pilot, citing 84% of participants would have become homeless without it.
  • Seth O'Mear (Oakland Firefighters Local 55) thanked the council for keeping all 25 fire stations open.
  • Linda Carter and Beatrice Mayo (East Oakland Senior Center) pleaded for restored five-day hours and more staff.
  • Ryan Mitchick (Public Ethics Commission) supported funding for enforcement and limited public financing.
  • Blake Spears and Charlie Deterline (SOS Meals on Wheels) thanked the council for protecting senior meal funding but noted deficits.
  • Ann Janks (Coalition for Police Accountability) supported civilianization but urged funding for Inspector General auditors to exit federal oversight.
  • Kedrick Armstrong (Oakland Symphony), Graham Lustig (Oakland Ballet), and others urged restoration of the Cultural Affairs Manager position, calling arts essential to economic development.
  • Adam Barr (IFPTE Local 21, city worker) applauded the budget for avoiding additional layoffs.
  • Francis Upton (Public Ethics Commission chair) thanked the council for minimal enforcement staffing and public financing.
  • Evelyn Arnova (Centro Legal de la Raza) supported eviction prevention funding.
  • Catherine Sturmick (Friends of the Oakland Public Library) urged voting no on Measure C and D MOE waivers, calling them a violation of voter trust.

Discussion Items

• Budget Presentation (Item 5): Councilmembers Ramachandran and Brown co-chaired the budget team. Ramachandran outlined core values: fiscal responsibility (no reliance on anticipated one-time revenues like Coliseum sale), transparency, preserving city staff, and investing in "boots on the ground" over management. Key amendments included: special revenue collections project projected at $39+ million; a new billboard agreement generating $35 million over 31 years (recurring); unassigned fund balances; right-sizing police academies (removing one academy but increasing target class size to 42 from current <20); deleting some vacant managerial positions; and using a small portion of the self-insurance liability fund.
  • Public Safety: Funded all 25 fire stations (reversing one planned brownout except 90 winter days), OPD recruitment and staffing (targeting 40+ graduates per academy), civilianization of five sworn positions in internal affairs and other desk jobs, two grant writers for OPD, $1 million for community safety ambassadors, sideshow prevention ($1.4 million), and sex trafficking enforcement.
  • Clean Streets: Invested in illegal dumping enforcement (cameras, drones, evidence collection staff), graffiti abatement, and OakTown Proud education campaign.
  • Economic Revitalization: $3 million business incentive program, $1 million for community activation/entertainment zones, special events permit coordinator, and investment in permit-improving IT (Acela system).
  • Homelessness Prevention: $1 million for the Keep Oakland Housed pilot (targeting black men at risk of homelessness). Director Weinstein explained it serves ~125 families/year at $8,000 each, with 92% retaining housing.
  • Parks and Trees: Added four tree service FTEs and two park positions, plus $500,000 for contract/overtime for tree clearing and bathroom cleaning.
  • Ethics and Oversight: Funded minimum staffing for Public Ethics Commission enforcement and limited public financing (Democracy Dollars). Also restored positions in City Auditor and Department of Race and Equity.
  • Government Efficiency: $2 million set aside for potential federal/state cuts; $3 million to reverse proposed layoffs; continued neighborhood enhancement services.
• Policy Directives: Included civilianization of OPD internal affairs, improved recruitment for police academies, coordination on human trafficking, removal of abandoned autos, and a task force to transition investigations to CPIA. Also directed development of revenue alternatives for year two.
• Fiscal Roadmap: Consultant Ben Rosenfield presented a roadmap for long-term fiscal health (to come later in June), focusing on pension liabilities, achieving voter-mandated staffing, and improved revenue collections. The budget assumes a $40 million tax measure on the June 2026 ballot to avoid year-two cuts, distinguished from last year's Coliseum sale (one-time).
• Councilmember Comments:
  • Councilmember Unger called it the "nobody's happy budget," emphasizing focusing on core essentials (public safety, safe streets, blight, infrastructure, economic development). He highlighted funding for all fire stations, ceasefire, and small business incentives.
  • Councilmember Wang stressed collaborative work and investments in sex trafficking prevention, sideshow prevention, and evidence collection for illegal dumping.
  • Council President Jenkins noted the difficulty of funding everything and questioned HR about the impact of cutting recruitment staff.
  • Councilmember Gallo urged stronger focus on public safety, citing boarded businesses and lack of police presence at protests. He expressed concern about overspending and leaving businesses.
  • Councilmember Houston initially expressed concern about $1 million for homeless prevention, suggesting it go to illegal dumping enforcement, but after discussion supported the budget. He appreciated senior center funding.
  • Councilmember Fife thanked staff and advocated for arts and culture, noting the importance of the Cultural Affairs Manager position. She also highlighted the need for a comprehensive homelessness plan.
• Chair Brown acknowledged public input and proposed a friendly amendment to restore the Cultural Affairs Manager position by reallocating $300,000 from the $1 million entertainment activation allocation. This was not formally seconded or voted on; the item was called for a vote on the resolution as is.
• Item 6 (MOE Waivers): Brad Johnson (Budget Administrator) explained the resolution waives MOE requirements in charter and ballot measures (Measure NN for police staffing, Measures C/D for library, Measure Q for parks, Measure X for auditor, etc.) due to severe fiscal necessity. The resolution passed 6-1 (Gallo no, Fife excused).

Key Outcomes

• Item 5 (Biennial Budget Adoption): Motion by Ramachandran, seconded by Unger to adopt the resolution as amended. Passed 6-1 (Gallo no, Fife excused). The budget includes the amendments presented by the budget team.
• Item 6 (MOE Waivers): Motion by Ramachandran, seconded by Unger. Passed 6-1 (Gallo no, Fife excused). Establishes the city's intention to restore services when financially possible.
• Key Financial Figures: Total deficit of $265 million closed; $6.5 million allocated for clean and safe streets; $3 million business incentive program; $1 million homeless prevention; all 25 fire stations funded; police academies restructured; special revenue collections project begun; and a $40 million future tax measure for 2026 ballot.
• Next Steps: City administrator to present a fiscal roadmap later in June. Budget reopens at any time. Council will monitor bond sales, revenue collections, and state/federal funding changes.