"Under Lee and Jenkins' plan, the mayor would get veto power over the city budget and other legislation passed by the council. But the council could override a veto with a two-thirds vote. The mayor would directly oversee city departments instead of having that work filtered through the city administrator, who currently has more authority over day-to-day work. (The city administrator would remain in place, but their role would change.)"
"Currently, Oakland has a hybrid form of government, where authority is divided between the mayor, the city administrator, and the City Council in an unusual system that many people say is confusing and ineffective. After she was elected last year, Mayor Barbara Lee set up a task force to explore changing Oakland's charter. That group came out with recommendations early this year to adopt a strong mayor system."
"This week, the mayor and Council President Kevin Jenkins proposed a ballot measure based on these recommendations. The Rules and Legislation Committee of the council will take up the item on May 21. The mayor's office and the task force facilitators have met and negotiated with councilmembers in recent weeks about the measure. The proposal this week indicates the mayor may believe she has the necessary votes to get it on the ballot."
"The council's power would also be strengthened in other ways. It would have the authority to create an independent "budget and legislative analyst office" to assist councilmembers in researching and writing policy without relying on the mayor and their admini"
Oakland is considering a charter change to adopt a strong mayor form of government. A City Council committee will hear a proposal later this month, and the full council will decide whether to place it on the November ballot. The current hybrid system divides authority among the mayor, city administrator, and City Council, which many view as confusing and ineffective. Mayor Barbara Lee and Council President Kevin Jenkins have proposed a ballot measure based on recommendations from a task force formed after Lee’s election. The plan would give the mayor veto power over the city budget and other council legislation, with the council able to override by a two-thirds vote. The mayor would also directly oversee city departments, while the city administrator’s role would change. The council would gain authority to create an independent budget and legislative analyst office to support policy work.
Read at The Oaklandside
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]