City Government

Support Rebecca Kaplan for City Council President

Published

5 years ago

December 27, 2018

Rebecca Kaplan

Oakland City Council will be sworn in to office, including three newly-elected members. Immediately after the swearing-in (which starts at 11 a.m.), the Council will have the opportunity to select its leaders for the coming year, including selecting the Council President.
The President runs the meetings, initiates the Committee assignments and takes the lead on crafting the agenda and making sure participation happens smoothly. For the coming term, we urge the Council to support Councilmember-at-large Rebecca Kaplan for the position of Council President.
Kaplan has served on the Council for 10 years and has been re-elected by large margins, city-wide, representing all the people of Oakland, and has a track record of working successfully to build broad coalitions and advance policies to protect the needs of our community.
She holds a bachelor’s degree from MIT, a Master’s in Urban and Environmental Policy, and a J.D. from Stanford Law School and is well equipped to handle the work of the Council Presidency, both in terms of understanding policy and for handling the procedural rules that govern Council meetings.
Kaplan was elected unanimously, twice, as Chair of another government Board, the Alameda County Transportation Commission, which includes representatives from all of the cities in Alameda County, along with transit agencies and County Supervisors.
Therefore, Rebecca has experience chairing meetings, making committee assignments, and leading the passage and implementation of successful ballot measures, with an even larger and more complicated Board.
Rebecca has a track record of successfully bringing people together to develop and pass important initiatives, including the recent Oakland Vacant Property tax to fund homeless solutions, passing a citywide public lands policy for Oakland, Alameda County’s Measure BB to fund transportation and infrastructure, and winning over $50 million in regional funding to clean up air pollution in Oakland’s hardest-hit communities from trucks, trains, and more.
Kaplan has helped to fight for fairness in employment and contracting, including for a disparity study, to improve access and equity in banking, for meaningful community police oversight, and will work to help make sure homeless solutions and job training are strengthened.
Recently, Kaplan successfully intervened to help reject racial profiling and strengthen the police commission, including regarding the problem of searches of people on parole and probation.
As a person who treats others with respect and understands that we are to be judged by how we treat the least of these, and as a person of faith and bible scholar who works well with those of all backgrounds, Kaplan will ensure a welcoming and harmonious environment at Council meetings.
For all these reasons and more, we urge the Council to elect Rebecca Kaplan as Council President for the coming term.
Co-signers of open letter supporting Kaplan for council president are: Noni Session, John Jones III, Kimberly Mayfield, Rev. Dr. Harold R. Mayberry, Henry Gage III, James Vann, Lynette Neidhardt, Rashidah Grinage, Henry Hitz. Pamela Drake, Gary Jimenez (VP of Politics, SEIU 1021*)
*Organization listed for identification only.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

7 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

2 weeks ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.