Oakland faces a projected 129 million dollar one year budget shortfall and is pivoting to a back to basics approach. City leaders say priorities remain community safety, housing security, essential services, and collecting owed revenues. At a budget hearing, staff outlined difficult choices needed to rein in spending and balance the books.
If approved Dec 17, phase one would cut a little over 204 million dollars. Measures include reductions to city staff and police overtime, postponing one police academy, browning out two fire stations, and transferring money into the general fund from other sources. Proposed shifts include about 6 million dollars from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, about 15 million dollars from the Self Insurance Liability Fund, and nearly 10 million dollars from the Emergency Reserve fund that exceeds policy minimums.