Oakland City Council - SFist - San Francisco News, Restaurants, Events, & Sports

Oakland City Council Approves Slashing Police, Fire, and Arts Departments to Trim $130 Million Deficit

With the City of Oakland drowning in about $129 million in red ink, Oakland City Council voted to approve a plan to cut police overtime, close a few fire stations, and eliminate some arts programs in hopes of closing the deficit.

Oakland City Council Weighing Drastic Cuts as $130 Million Deficit Looms

Layoffs, pay cuts, and reductions to the police and fire departments are all on the table in Oakland, as the City Council looks for ways to slash the city's budget as they confront a deficit of nearly $130 million.

President of Oakland City Council, Nikki Fortunato Bas, Declares Victory In County Race, Complicating Mayoral Transition

Who will be interim mayor of Oakland? That's a more open question now as City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas announced victory in her bid to become an Alameda County supervisor.

Sheng Thao Will Skip Tie-Breaking Vote on City Contract to Business Associate of Possible FBI Probe Target

Confronted with the very messy optics of steering millions of dollars to someone whose business partner may be a target of the very same FBI investigation that Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao may be a target of, Thao is choosing to merely duck the vote.

Former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong Announces Run For City Council

In his latest bid to regain a position in city government, former Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong has announced that he is now running for a city council seat in November.

Bay Area Sports

Oakland A's Once Again Threatening to Leave Oakland as New Stadium Subsidy Comes Up for Vote

In a not-very-veiled threat via a statement from Major League Baseball, the Oakland A's are following a familiar playbook to coerce the Oakland City Council to approve an $855 million payment for new infrastructure around the Howard Terminal site.

Moms 4 Housing Organizer Wins Oakland City Council Seat, Beating Incumbent

The woman who's credited with being the mastermind behind last fall's Moms 4 Housing protest in West Oakland, Carroll Fife, has unseated incumbent City Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney, marking a shift toward a more progressive electorate in parts of Oakland.

Bay Area Sports

A’s Latest Ballpark Plan Once Again Goes Foul As Oakland City Council Sues Alameda County

A fight to prioritize affordable housing over a fancy new Major League Baseball stadium pits mayor Libby Schaaf against her own city council.

Dual Proposals Approved To Curb Oakland Rent Increases

In a session that lasted until late last night slash early this morning, Oakland's City Council has unanimously approved two proposals to curtail property owners' ability to raise their tenants' rents. The Associated

Oakland City Council Approves 90-Day Pause On Rent Hikes

In a move that sounds even more progressive and renter-friendly than San Francisco's Board of Supervisors, Oakland's City Council last night approved a 90-day moratorium on all rent hikes citywide. The vote came

Four Races To Watch In Today's Election, Besides San Francisco's

You may have heard some of the figures, but despite this being a mid-term election, this has, for various reasons, become the most expensive mid-term election in American history. And even though people

Former News Anchor, Noted Penis Sculptress Dana King To Run For Oakland City Council

Though it sounded like she was retiring from her news career two years ago in order to pursue art full time, former KPIX news anchor Dana King wants back in the fast lane.

Two Oakland City Council Members Accused In Auditor Probe

Oakland City Auditor Courtney Ruby is out for blood, it seems, or perhaps just widespread reforms in the corrupt "culture" she sees in Oakland's city government. In a scathing new report, Ruby alleges

Anti-Smoking Crusaders Seek To Ban Smoking Around Lake Merritt

Some "chemically sensitive" and otherwise smoke-averse individuals in Oakland have just filed a petition with city councilperson Rebecca Kaplan to ban smoking around the perimeter of Lake Merritt. Once again, smokers, in case

After Another Extra-Long Meeting, Oakland City Council Approves Hiring Controversial Police Consultant

We thought this hiring was already done in December, but it turns out that Bill Bratton, formerly Chief of Police in L.A., still needed formal Council approval to begin his consulting gig

Oakland Dog Owners Debate Dog Park With City Council; Four People Shot Near Lake Merritt

On a night that saw four people shot near Lake Merritt and no arrests made, a legion of passionate dog owners occupied most of the evening's public comment at the Oakland City Council

Oakland City Council Decides Not To Sic Cops On Every Last Protester

At their meeting last night, the Oakland City Council rejected a proposed resolution which we discussed yesterday that would have authorized Oakland police to use "whatever lawful tools" necessary to prevent another shutdown

Oakland City Council Members, Business Owners Have Shouting Match With Occupy Oakland

We mentioned yesterday that a new showdown was brewing between the Oakland police and the Occupy Oakland camp as Mayor Jean Quan seems to be once again caving to pressure from the downtown

Jean Quan Is Oakland's First Female (and Asian American) Mayor

It's official: City Councilwoman Jean Quan has won the Oakland mayor's race, beating out Don Perata in the ranked-choice voting tally by a margin of 51% to 49% (a little more than 2,

Montel Williams Looks to Open Pot Business in Oakland

Celebrity talk show host Montel Williams, whose TV show ceased production a couple years ago but who can still be seen on CBS and BET in syndication, met last week with Oakland City

Oakland City Council Approves Large-Scale Marijuana Farms

The Oakland City Council last night voted to approve the licensing of four large-scale grow operations in industrial areas of the city to supply marijuana to the growing dispensary concerns in Oaksterdam. This

Two Oakland Councilwomen Under Investigation for Mehserle Protest Night

Despite the teenage-titter-worthy quality of the Matier and Ross headline ("Oakland cops probing two councilwomen at protest"), this isn't actually a story about sexual assault. The OPD is going after council members Jean

Rapist Ignacio De La Fuente Jr. Sentenced

Ha. You foolish bastard. The son of Oakland City Council President Ignacio De La Fuente, Ignacio De La Fuente Jr., 34, got smacked upside the head with a 14-year prison sentence for raping

Arts & Entertainment

Oakland Bans Rich, Smooth, Satisfying Smoking In Public Spaces

Today, the Oakland City Council voted to ban smoking in "ATM lines, parks and other public places," which is smurfy, health-conscious, makes the bitch behind you at the ATM line stops her self-righteous

SFist Blotter

In a somewhat-better type of neighborhood self-policing in Berkeley, neighbors are now going in large groups to Becky Temko Tot Park in downtown Berkeley, so another neighbor won't yell at them. Local parents