Community
Councilmembers Approve More Money in Budget for East Oakland
Oakland city councilmembers on revised the adopted city budget to deliver more resources to East Oakland, Councilmember Treva Reid’s office said on July 26.
Oakland city councilmembers on revised the adopted city budget to deliver more resources to East Oakland, Councilmember Treva Reid’s office said on July 26.
Reid and Councilmember Loren Taylor were the only two councilmembers to vote no on the budget when it was adopted June 24. Both serve East Oakland residents. The budget had to be passed by June 30.
Reid’s office said East Oakland residents were seeking more resources to stem gun violence, reduce unemployment, improve traffic safety and other issues that affect them more than others in the city.
So, by a unanimous decision on July 26, the City Council amended the budget to provide millions more to benefit East Oakland residents. Over $3 million alone will go toward traffic safety, Reid said.
“That was huge for us,” Reid said in an interview July 28.
Part of the $3 million will go toward traffic-calming initiatives such as roundabouts, medians, and Botts’ dots, and raised pavement markers that help prevent sideshows.
In May, police encountered about 100 vehicles and 300 people at a sideshow at 98th and Edes avenues. Officers arrested eight people and towed 22 cars, Reid said. Fourteen citations were written by police.
The amendments will provide for $150,000 to pay for quickening the response to 911 calls. “We have calls stacking,” Reid said.
One night more than 400 calls stacked up and about 300 of those were from Reid’s district in East Oakland.
In her district, every age group has said they want more police response, despite demands by many in the city to reduce the Police Department budget and fund alternatives.
Reid said older people are more likely to express the need for police.
Reid would like security cameras placed in her district along corridors such as International Boulevard, Bancroft Avenue and Hegenberger Road.
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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