A resolution introduced by Councilmember Larry Reid that would maximize the use of available city funds to benefit job seekers and employers was approved at Thursday’s Rules and Legislation Committee meeting. 

The jobs funding item is set to be voted on at the April 26 Community and Economic Development Committee meeting.

The resolution would utilize available city savings from the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) to pay job service providers, thus avoiding having to return unused funding to the state for failure to spend them in a timely manner.

In the past, Oakland has returned up to $600,000 in jobs funds to the state for failure to spend the money.

Originally, the city had attempted to stop the resolution to allocate the funding for jobs by turning it into an informational report instead of an action item.

“I think we’re doing a disservice to all those we were elected to represent if we’re not getting that money out to the streets to serve African American and Latino youth,” said Councilmember Reid at the committee meeting.

The original resolution was eventually approved.

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