City Government

Oakland City Council Will Vote Tuesday on Renter Protection, Police Commission Ballot Measures

Published

10 years ago

July 14, 2016

The Tuesday, July 19 Oakland City Council meeting is one of the last chances for council members to place progressive measures on the November ballot.

The council is scheduled to decide whether to place measures on the ballot for renter protection to curb Oakland’s displacement crisis and a proposal for an independent police oversight commission for better accountability of police misconduct.
 

Housing activists are asking community members to show up to Tuesday’s meeting to make their opinions known to council members.

“This isn’t about us asking the council to pass renter protection on our behalf,” said James Vann of the Post Salon Community Assembly. “We are simply asking you to put it on the ballot and let the voters decide.”

On Tuesday, the Council will be considering two separate renter protection proposals.

The Protect Oakland Renters Act, drafted by Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, is a reworked version of the original renter protection initiative that was written by a coalition of several housing organizations and anti-displacement activists.

Kaplan’s proposal, which would go onto the November ballot if it gains five votes, has wide support from community, labor organizations, interfaith leaders and housing advocates.

The proposal would require landlords to petition through the Rent Board if they wish to increase tenants’ rents above the annual consumer price index, whereas tenants are currently responsible for petitioning to oppose rent increases over a legal amount.

The measure would also extend Just Cause protections to buildings built up to 1995. Currently, buildings are only covered if they were built before 1984.

Another major feature is that it limits rent increases to 5 percent per year unless a landlord can prove they are losing money managing their property.

But most importantly for many housing activists, the changes would go into effect by Jan. 1, 2017 if approved by the voters in November.

In order to support small property landlords, owner-occupied duplexes and triplexes would be exempt from the renter protections.

The second ordinance was drafted by Councilmembers Dan Kalb, Abel Guillén and Council President Lynette Gibson McElhaney.

Some of the elements of this proposal would not go into effect until as late as 2018, such as limiting rent increases to 30 percent over a five-year period.

This ordinance would not go on the November ballot but could be passed Tuesday at the council meeting.

“We have a housing crisis right now,” said Councilmember Kaplan in an interview with the Post.

“Everybody has acknowledged that the crisis is now and to say that we will take action in a year or two, I disagree with that,” Kaplan said.

Both proposals will need five votes to pass.

On Thursday, dozens of supporters of Kaplan’s Protect Oakland Renters Act, including Councilmembers Kaplan, Guillén, and Noel Gallo, members of the Protect Oakland Renters Coalition, and labor and interfaith leaders, held a press conference in front of City Council announcing the City Council vote coming up on July 19 at 5 p.m.

Another initiative being decided on is placing a civilian-run police oversight commission on the November ballot.

The measure would create a commission with the power of overseeing and imposing discipline on officers found to be participating in misconduct. The commission would also have a say in best policing practices and who gets hired in the Oakland Police Department.

The issue facing the council Tuesday is not only whether the measure will go on the ballot but also whether the ballot proposal will create a commission that will be sufficiently independent of the influence of the police union and the city administration, which have been accused of undermining police discipline and accountability for many years.

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IN MEMORIAM: Longtime OUSD Employee Debra King-Cooper, 73

Longtime OUSD Employee Debra King-Cooper, 73 Caption: Debra King-Cooper. Courtesy photo. Special to The Post Debra King-Cooper, a beloved mother, grandmother, queen, sister, church member, caregiver, and matriarch, transitioned peacefully on May 20 surrounded by family and love i

Published

38 minutes ago

June 17, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Debra King-Cooper. Courtesy photo.

Special to The Post

Debra King-Cooper, a beloved mother, grandmother, queen, sister, church member, caregiver, and matriarch, transitioned peacefully on May 20 surrounded by family and love in the comfort of her home. To her children, she was royalty, grace, strength, and unconditional love embodied.

Debra Diane Edgar was born on May 28, 1952, in San Francisco, California, to Charles Edgar Sr. and Mamie Arthur Edgar. She was raised alongside her younger brother, Charles Edgar Jr., affectionately known as “Little Brother” or “Lil Bruh.” She also shared close bonds with her older siblings Carol Edgar-Lang, Maryann Edgar Calloway, and Lonnie Lewis Sr.

A proud product of San Francisco’s historic Fillmore District, Debra attended Andrew Jackson Elementary School, where she met her lifelong best friend and adopted sister, Lynn Green, in the fifth grade. She later attended Robert Louis Stevenson Elementary School, Roosevelt Junior High School and Thomas Jefferson High School.

Debra’s mother transitioned when she was only 17 years old, and her father transitioned when she was 23. Despite these profound losses, Debra remained grounded through the love and support of extended family and lifelong family friends,

In 1971, she married Harold King. On Sept. 24, 1972, they welcomed their first son, Dajuan Artese King, affectionately called “Pop” or “Poppa.” On Aug. 5, 1976, they welcomed their second son, Dante Dupree King, affectionately called “Tay” or “Taboocoo the Baby.”

After her divorce in 1982, Debra assumed full responsibility for raising her sons.

She supported Dajuan’s passion for football by purchasing sports equipment and attending games faithfully. She supported Dante’s love of music by enrolling him in the San Francisco Boys Choir, Oakland Boys Choir, and the Castlemont Castleers.

Professionally, Debra built an exceptional career. She worked at Blue Shield of California from 1973 until 1994, earning multiple promotions.

She later joined the Oakland Unified School District, initially in a temporary role before being promoted into management within the Labor Relations Department. She retired from OUSD in 2015 after years of distinguished service. During her years at OUSD, she built meaningful friendships with her colleagues.

Faith was central to Debra’s life. During the 1980s, following personal hardship, she joined Love Center Church under the leadership of Bishop Walter Hawkins, where she brought her children regularly. She later became a member of Triumphant: A Church Without Walls Ministries under Pastor Dr. Larry Short, who became a beloved spiritual mentor.

After Triumphant closed in 1992, Debra joined Cosmopolitan Baptist Church in Oakland under the leadership of Pastor Larry Ashley, where she remained for the rest of her life.

At Cosmopolitan, she worked in numerous ministries. She served on the usher board, sang in the choir, participated in the AIDS ministry during the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, helped feed and support unhoused community members, and mentored and supported a group of young girls.

After retirement, she cared for older adults in her church community, driving them to appointments, cleaning their homes, managing finances, preparing meals, and helping families navigate funeral arrangements after loved ones transitioned.

Even while battling Stage 4 cancer herself, she continued caring for others.

Debra was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Edgar Sr. and Mamie Arthur Edgar; her brothers, Lonnie Lewis Sr. and Charles Edgar Jr.; her sisters, Maryann Edgar Calloway and Victoria Stephenson Knight; and her adopted mother, Clara Oliver.

She leaves to cherish her memory her beloved sons, Dajuan King and Dante King; grandson, Tiyler Dajuan Artese King; sister, Carol Edgar-Lang; goddaughters Monique Belle and Ricketa Matthews Jones (Leonard); daughter-in-love Quiona Sullivan; son-in-love Marcel Walker; sister-in-law Delores Lewis; adopted sisters and lifelong friends Lynn Green, Barbara Stephenson Hill, and Sarah Fine; a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, great-nieces, great-nephews, extended family members, her church family and dear friends.