Interim City Administrator Deadlock Threatens $5.5M Bond Deal as Oakland Rules Committee Juggles Tax Measure, Encampments

Oakland's Rules and Legislation Committee hit a wall on two of its biggest items Thursday — deadlocking on the mayor's pick for interim city administrator and punting a foreclosure transfer tax ballot measure one more week — while an urgent push to align encampment policy with available shelter sites added new heat to a packed summer agenda.

• Interim city administrator appointment stalls 2-2, putting a $5.5 million CalPERS bond transaction at risk if no signatory is confirmed by July 15
• Foreclosure transfer tax ballot measure delayed one week after Councilmember Ramachandran demands to see amendments in writing; advisory measure stripped, replaced by pure revenue approach modeled on San Francisco
• Councilmember Houston forces early hearing on city-owned property inventory before July 14 encampment closures begin, warning displaced residents will have "no place to put them"
• Alvina Wong unanimously reappointed to Port of Oakland board for full term, praised for environmental justice expertise
• AC Transit budget and service cuts moved off consent so full council can weigh in July 7
• Sanctuary city ordinance, amended to remove OPD immigration cooperation provisions, headed to July 7 council

The mayor's appointment of Elizabeth Lake as interim city administrator for a six-month term became the meeting's most consequential — and unresolved — fight.