Oakland Rules & Legislation Committee Meeting on June 18, 2026: Scheduling, Appointment, and Transfer Tax Ballot Measure
Oakland Rules & Legislation Committee Meeting - June 18, 2026
The Oakland City Council Rules and Legislation Committee convened on Thursday, June 18, 2026, at 10:37 a.m. The committee approved previous minutes, determined the schedule of outstanding items, scheduled numerous new items for future agendas, reviewed draft agendas, confirmed a mayoral appointment to the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board, and continued a discussion on a proposed ballot measure to amend the real property transfer tax for foreclosure transactions.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of the draft minutes from the June 4, 2026, committee meeting (Item 1) was accepted by a unanimous vote (3-0, with Councilmember Ramachandran excused).
- Determination of Schedule of Outstanding Committee Items (Item 2) was accepted as presented.
Public Comments & Testimony
- During Item 2, Rajni Mandal (District 4) urged council to evaluate police commission candidates based on the commission's record, particularly regarding oversight of OIG and CIPRA, and expressed concern about the current chair's approach.
- During Item 4 (draft agendas), Rajni Mandal commented on quarterly reports regarding CIPRA transfer, stating that the reports focus on implementation rather than readiness and that the police commission is responsible for CIPRA oversight. Another speaker, Tuan, opposed the reappointment of Ricardo Garcia Acosta to the police commission, citing five police chiefs in six years and a lack of stakeholder collaboration.
- During the Open Forum, Rajni Mandal raised concerns about CIPRA's hiring challenges and governance issues under the police commission's oversight.
- On Item S6, public speakers included: Stacey (supported taxing real estate by closing the loophole but opposed using funds for encampment closure operations/sweeps); Kevin Daly (supported the tax but expressed concerns about funds going to the general fund and multiple taxes on the ballot); Derek Barnes (supported the measure but encouraged using funds for community ownership and rehabilitation, not just revenue, and preserving hardship exemptions).
Discussion Items
- New Scheduling Items (Item 3): The committee scheduled 11 items to various future committee and council meetings. Notable: Items 3.1-3.3 (delinquent taxes and trash fees) to go directly to the July 7, 2026, City Council agenda as public hearings via Rule 24 bypass. Item 3.4 (support for AB 2720 - human trafficking victim support coordinator) to the July 7 council consent calendar. Items 3.5-3.7 to the July 14 Public Works and Transportation Committee. Item 3.8 (Chapter 8 tax sale) to the July 14 Community and Economic Development (CED) Committee. Item 3.9 (increasing civil penalties for nuisances) to the July 14 CED Committee and to the July 21 City Council as a public hearing. Item 3.10 (grant to Construction Resource Center) to the July 14 Life Enrichment Committee. Item 3.11 (bi-annual OPD Part II crime data report) to the October 27 Public Safety Committee. All passed as amended (3-0).
- Review of Draft Agendas (Item 4): The committee reviewed pending lists and draft agendas. Staff requested scheduling of the FY 2026-27 Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes Resolution (up to $200,000,000) to the July 7 City Council on non-consent via Rule 24, citing federal securities law requirements. A quarterly code enforcement report was scheduled to the July 14 CED Committee. The General Plan Update Phase 2 Draft Land Use Framework study session was scheduled to the July 7 City Council as a public hearing. Additionally, an AC Transit informational report on budget deficits and service impacts was requested for July 7 council (to be scheduled later). The item passed as amended (3-0).
- Appointment to Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board (Item S5): The committee approved an urgency finding under Rule 28 to consider the mayor's appointment of Feleciai Favroth. The appointment was approved unanimously and forwarded to the July 7 City Council consent agenda. Favroth spoke in support of her appointment, citing her passion for preservation and real estate experience.
- Proposed Ballot Measure on Real Property Transfer Tax (Item S6): Councilmember Wang's proposal to submit two measures to voters in the November 3, 2026, general municipal election: (1) a measure to amend Oakland Municipal Code Chapter 4.20 to amend the foreclosure transaction exception in the real property transfer tax, and (2) an advisory measure on whether the increased revenue should be spent on interim shelter, transitional housing, encampment closure operations, addiction treatment, job readiness, and other homelessness services. The committee discussed timeline concerns; Councilmember Jenkins recommended coordinating with the City Clerk's office on work capacity. After public testimony, the committee voted to continue item S6 to the June 25, 2026, Rules and Legislation Committee meeting (motion by Councilmember Fife, second by Brown, passed 3-0).
Key Outcomes
- Minutes of June 4, 2026, approved.
- Schedule of outstanding committee items approved.
- 11 new scheduling items assigned to future agendas as detailed above.
- Draft agendas for June 23 committees and July 2 rules committee approved with amendments (scheduling of tax notes resolution and code enforcement report).
- Appointment of Feleciai Favroth to the Landmarks Preservation Advisory Board confirmed, forwarded to the July 7 City Council consent agenda.
- Item S6 continued to the June 25, 2026, Rules and Legislation Committee for further discussion.
- Meeting adjourned at 11:17 a.m.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning and welcome to the rules and legislation committee meeting on this Thursday, June eighteenth. The time is now ten thirty-seven, and this meeting shall come to order. Before I um give instructions, um, I would uh like to give instructions on how to submit a speaker card for items on this agenda. If you would like to spend uh if you are here participating in person in chambers and would like to submit a speaker card, please pick up a card on the table and turn it into a clerk representative, either um before the item is read into record or ten minutes after this meeting began. The meeting began at ten thirty-seven, so we will stop receiving in-person speaker cards um by ten forty-seven or before the item is called, whichever comes first. With that, I will call roll on roll for this meeting, Councilmember Brown. Present. Councilmember Fife present. Are we excuse? We need to send her invite. I don't think can we send her invite and excuse her for now? Okay, thank you for that. Council Member Ramachandran excuse and Chair Jenkins. Good morning. Good morning. We have three present. Um, and one excuse Ramachandron. Is approval of the draft minutes for the committee meeting on June fourth, twenty twenty-six. Move approval. Second. And that was a motion by Council Member Brown. Seconded by Councilmember Fife to approve item one, which is the June fourth draft minutes on roll. Council Member Brown. Aye. Council Member Five. Aye. Councilmember Ramachandran is excused and Chair Jenkins. And item number one is approve of three eyes, one excused. That now takes up to item number two. Item number two is determination of scheduling of outstanding committee items, which is your rules pending list. Um, and I have two speakers for this item. Anything from the administration. No changes at this time. Let's go to the public speaker. Thank you for that. Um, I will call those who um the names and when you approach the podium, please state your name for the record. If you are participating remotely, please raise your hand so I can easily identify you. And as usual, we'll take those who are in person first, followed by those who are online. I have Rajni Mandal. Good morning, and Blair Beekman and we will thank you. Hi, Rajney Mandel District 4. I understand the police commission selection panel is expected to submit its recommended slate to council soon. As council reviews those appointments, I urge you to evaluate not only the qualifications of the candidates but also the commission's record over the past several years. Because one of the recommended candidates is the current chair. This is also a decision about whether the commission's current direction should continue. As Oakland prepares to exit more than two decades of federal oversight, the city needs a commission focused on governance, accountability, and oversight. Yet the commission has too often failed to provide meaningful oversight of CIPRA and OIG, overlooked governance and transparency issues, and devoted significant time to matters outside its statutory responsibilities. A vote for the current chair is a vote to continue that approach. I encourage council to evaluate candidates based not only on what they promised but on their actual record of leadership, judgment, and performance. Thank you.
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