Charter Reform Heads to Full Council as Oakland Weighs Strong-Mayor Overhaul

Oakland's Rules & Legislation Committee unanimously advanced a sweeping charter reform ballot measure to the full City Council, setting up the most consequential governance debate the city has seen in years — even as three of four committee members signaled they personally prefer a council-manager alternative. The committee also processed 26 scheduling items under fiscal year-end pressure, including a contested billboard revenue deal and tens of millions in grants and contracts.

• Charter reform ballot measure advances 4-0 to June 2 Council, proposing to make the mayor chief executive with veto power and require full-time councilmembers
• Mayor Barbara Lee frames Oakland as "at a turning point," dismissing characterizations of the proposal as a power grab while labor, faith and civic groups split sharply over the strong-mayor vs. council-manager question
• Becker Boards billboard deal delayed to June 16 after city attorney flags 17-day newspaper notice requirement; competitors call the restructuring a "major retrade"
• $38.1M in community violence intervention grants for 21 organizations scheduled for Public Safety Committee
• Master Fee Schedule fast-tracked to June 2 — city cannot charge updated fees if not adopted by July 1

The marquee event of the May 21 Rules & Legislation Committee meeting was a nearly 90-minute hearing on a proposed ballot measure that would fundamentally reshape how Oakland governs itself — and the room was packed with people who cared deeply about the answer.