City Government

Oakland’s $3.8 Billion Budget for 2021-2023 Funds Roads, Parks, Youth and Boosts Money for OPD

District 6 City Councilmember Loren Taylor says while the budget includes many items that he supports, he ultimately voted against it because he believes leaves much to be desired.

Published

5 years ago

July 17, 2021

Isabelle Price

Oakland City Council Members Debating Issues courtesy oaklandca.gov

The Oakland City Council approved the city’s FY21-23 budget on June 24 by a 7-2 vote. The $3.8 billion budget will include funding for police and fire departments, roads, parks, homeless services, affordable housing, cultural grants, youth programs, and much more.

Although the council all but promised that it would ‘defund the police’ last summer in the wake of local and national unrest following the murder of George Floyd, about a week after the current budget was approved it was revealed that, in fact, the Oakland Police Department would get $674 million. That is an increase of $38 million over the previous budget cycle from 2019-2021, which was $635 million.

District 6 City Councilmember Loren Taylor says while the budget includes many items that he supports, he ultimately voted against it because he believes leaves much to be desired.

“I ultimately voted ‘no’ on the budget because at the end of the day it did the same as other budgets before it—perpetuating many inherent inequities that have plagued Central & Deep East Oakland for decades,” Taylor said in a recent newsletter to his constituents.

“Many things I advocated for are crucial to equitably addressing the needs of Oakland residents,” he said.

Let’s look at what items made the cut. Below are a few highlights which include:

$17 million investment into violence prevention programs
Doubled funding for MACRO Pilot (alternatives to armed police response)
Significant investments into homelessness services and affordable housing
A 3% cost-of-living adjustment for city workers;
A new fire station and regional fire-training/education center on 66th Avenue
Restoration and reactivation of Tomas Melero-Smith and 85th Avenue Mini Park
Investments into community partners providing workforce development services.

Taylor pointed out several items he and council members Sheng Thao and Treva Reid proposed that didn’t make the cut.

Millions of dollars in traffic calming infrastructure and sideshow deterrence including the MacArthur Blvd/Millsmont Traffic Corridor
Surveillance cameras to improve public safety in commercial districts and to address illegal dumping
Cost neutral shift of funds for the Police Academy to the first year of the budget to reduce 911 response times
Establishment of “City Hall East” to provide East Oaklanders with greater access to city departments and services
Increased staffing for illegal dumping/litter enforcement and abatement
Startup costs for a District 6 Business Improvement District (BID)
Arroyo Viejo Park upgrades (including parking lot resurfacing, commercial kitchen upgrade, and funding for pathway lighting)
Dedicated resources to eliminate race & gender disparities in City contracting
Removal of dangerous trees from Skyline Blvd. median

Taylor says he, Reid and Thao plan to introduce amendments that will address traffic safety, economic development, and community parks. He is calling on constituents to support these amendments which call for deeper investments in East Oakland.

Isabelle Price

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of July 15 – 21, 2026

Published

4 days ago

July 18, 2026

Oakland Post

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Oakland Post

Posts by Oakland Post

Activism

From Disparity Study to Solutions: Oakland Coalition and Mayor Barbara Lee Renew Commitment to Reform City Contracting

She committed to ensuring the coalition has direct access to City leadership by designating Assistant Deputy City Administrator Chuck Baker the primary liaison. Working alongside Deputy City Administrator Sofia Navarro, DWES Director Emylene Aspilla, Race and Equity Director Darlene Flynn, and other City departments, the coalition will continue advancing these priorities while maintaining regular communication with City leadership.

Published

1 week ago

July 15, 2026

Oakland Post

Present at the recent meeting on implementing recommendations on Oakland’s Disparity Study on city work contracts were (first row, l. to r.): Chuck Baker, Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee and Darlene Flynn. Second row, l. to r.) Samuel Adams, Erica Astrella, Chadwick Spell, Cathy Adams, Stanley Cooper, Maria Wagner, Len Turner, Derek Barnes, Paul Cobb. Photo courtesy of Oakland Mayor’s Office.

Special to The Post

On June 30, a coalition of minority business leaders, contractors and others met with Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee to discuss the City’s commitment to implement recommendations outlined in Oakland’s Disparity Study and eliminate barriers that have historically prevented Black and minority-owned businesses from fully participating in public contracting opportunities.

Representatives of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (OAACC), National Association of Minority Contractors Northern California (NAMC NorCal), Construction Resource Center (CRC), and the East Bay Rental Housing Association (EBRHA) said the meeting represented an important milestone in a process that has been underway for several months.

On April 21, the Oakland City Council’s Life Enrichment Committee received a progress report from the Department of Workplace and Employment Standards (DWES), where Director Emylene Aspilla presented the coalition’s working document and outlined a collaborative implementation plan between the coalition and the City. That report established 30-, 60-, and 90-day objectives focused on five key priorities:

Reforming Local and Small Local Business Enterprise (L/SLBE) waiver practices
Strengthening prompt payment compliance
Improving procurement forecasting and transparency
Expanding contractor capacity building and business development
Increasing oversight, accountability, and public reporting

A series of working sessions was scheduled between coalition representatives, DWES, and the City Administrator’s Office to begin implementing those priorities but were temporarily delayed by the resignation of former City Administrator Jestin Johnson.

Rather than allowing that momentum to stall, OAACC President and CEO Cathy Adams requested a meeting with Lee to gain clarity on the City’s direction and reaffirm its commitment to implementing the recommendations contained within the Disparity Study.

Coalition leaders described the meeting as productive, candid, collaborative, and encouraging.

During the meeting, Lee spoke not only from her role as mayor but also from her experience as an 8(a) contractor and business owner, sharing that she understands firsthand what it takes to build and grow a successful company, employ a substantial workforce, compete for public work, and navigate the complexities of municipal contracting.

Mayor Lee also expressed her commitment to personally participate in future working meetings with the coalition.

“This meeting represents a renewed commitment to partnership,” said Adams. “Mayor Lee listened, engaged, and demonstrated that she wants to move beyond conversation and into implementation.”

CRC’s Len Turner said the roadmap is already in place. ““The City already has the evidence. What’s been missing is execution. …Now it’s time to deliver results.”

Mario Wagner, president of NAMC NorCal agreed that the next phase must focus on implementation, funding, and accountability.

“The coalition is ready to get to work. …The next step is ensuring these initiatives receive meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle. Just as important, the City must establish transparent reporting mechanisms that keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and accountability.”

Coalition leaders also acknowledged that while City leadership has indicated it is reviewing Local and Small Local Business Enterprise waiver practices, the community continues to seek a formal response regarding existing long-term waivers, including waivers extending 10 and 25 years. The coalition believes those waivers should be comprehensively reviewed and, where appropriate, rolled back as part of the City’s broader contracting reforms.

The coalition is also calling on the City to include meaningful funding in the upcoming fiscal budget cycle to support implementation of the Disparity Study recommendations and establish better methods and mechanisms to keep the public informed through regular progress reports, measurable benchmarks, and transparent accountability.

The coalition’s immediate next step is to schedule a working meeting with Baker, Aspilla, Lee, and the appropriate City staff to review what has already been accomplished under the implementation framework.