Oakland, a city facing ongoing issues like corruption scandals and a struggle with dysfunction in its administration, is now weighing a proposal that could significantly boost the salaries of its city council members.
Mayor Barbara Lee, along with other city officials, is looking into a report that suggests reforming the city charter through a ballot measure this November, aiming to establish a stronger mayoral system. However, one contentious aspect—substantially increasing council members’ pay—has stirred backlash.
Despite grappling with a structural deficit exceeding $100 million in recent years, partly due to salary increases granted to public employee unions, a report from SPUR and the Oakland League of Women Voters proposes a study to determine “market-appropriate compensation for full-time legislative work.”
According to the proposal, city council members would be barred from outside employment, and their current salaries (around $109,000, projected to rise to nearly $115,000 in July) could approach the levels of those in Los Angeles and San Diego, based on calculations from the report.
If salaries matched those of their counterparts in San Diego and Los Angeles, council members could see pay increases between 69% to 125%.
Both the mayor’s office and City Council President Kevin Jenkins did not respond to requests for comments on the matter.
Chris Moore, a former candidate for Alameda County supervisor and a public safety advocate, criticized the pay raise proposal, referring to most of the current city council members as “incompetent.”
He expressed doubt, saying, “Perhaps it could lead to better decision-making if more capable individuals serve on the council. But the benefits, if any, might take considerable time to materialize.”
Moore added, “In a city like Oakland, which is often seen as one of the most corrupt in the nation, there’s a real risk that it could fall under the influence of powerful employee unions.”
If voters were to approve shifting city council members into full-time roles with benefits, their total compensation might reach $318,145 annually per member, including health care and pensions, as outlined in the Oakland report.
This increase could mean an extra financial burden of $1.96 million to $3.04 million annually for taxpayers to support the eight-member council.
Oakland, sometimes called The Town, has witnessed tumultuous times, marked by recall elections that removed former Mayor Sheng Tao and ex-Alameda County District Attorney Pam Price. Tao faced FBI scrutiny, an investigation linked to claims of unfair treatment due to his lack of wealth.
According to the report from SPUR and the Oakland League of Women Voters, about 63% of potential voters were in favor of the broad charter reform, while 73% supported granting the mayor veto power.
In a statement regarding the poll results, Lee noted, “These numbers clearly indicate that Oakland residents desire accountability and a city government that can effectively operate.”
However, it remains uncertain whether voters would back considerable salary increases for a city council that has frequently cited financial insolvency, despite implementing a new parcel tax that still falls short of achieving its objective of approximately 700 police officers.
The charter reform analysis suggested that numerous current and former city employees feel there’s a lack of clear leadership, expressed as “everyone is in charge, so no one is in charge.”
It seems a bit contradictory to argue for a pay raise for council members at a time when proposals might limit their influence on policy decisions, giving more power to the mayor instead.
