Oakland Report | Substack

Oakland set to declare “extreme fiscal necessity” again, coordinate with unions to increase property taxes

City council finance committee to review the FY 2024-25 revenue and expenditure report, annual consolidated financial report, and a proposed parcel tax…

Feb 10 • Sean S. Reinhart

Any charter amendment that does not eliminate ranked-choice voting is a waste of time

Also: OUSD board members accept our invitation to break bread; Democracy Dollars wasn’t enough for council members; Prostitution has exploded since…

Feb 7 • Oakland Report and Sean S. Reinhart

New taxes: Oakland public employee unions collecting signatures for a new parcel tax

The city council is already counting the money — they added $40 million in hoped-for income to the city budget, assuming that voters will approve the…

Feb 3 • Oakland Report

Oakland Police federal oversight: A different tone in court signals a potential end to NSA

Oakland Police Department has been under federal oversight since 2003. Yesterday, Judge William Orrick said he is “very optimistic about the future” for…

Jan 28 • Rajni Mandal

Counterpoint: Oakland prostitution enforcement and support services up for revisions

Charlene Wang's policy director responds to our article reporting on the councilmember's proposal to revise local laws concerning prostitution.

Jan 28 • Oakland Report

Charter reform

Give Oaklanders what they want and need: a strong mayor

Former mayor Libby Schaaf lays out the case for a citizens’ initiative to reform Oakland’s charter and put in place a true strong-mayor form of…

Jan 22 • Oakland Report

Commentary: Oakland needs a council-manager government — or needs to eliminate ranked-choice voting

A former city council member and mayoral candidate explains why he changed his mind about Oakland's form of government.

Jan 10 • Loren Taylor

Oakland Should Return to the Model City Charter: Commentary

Oakland Charter Reform Project kicks off our charter reform series exploring Oakland’s city charter and how it potentially could change in 2026.

Dec 22, 2025

Oakland Report

Oakland Report

Oakland Report provides reasoned, evidence-based analyses and critiques of the policies, actions, and inactions of our city, county, and state governments.

Recent posts

Oakland prostitution enforcement and support services up for revisions

Public safety committee proposal would shift enforcement focus away from sex workers and toward buyers of commercial sex, and create a new support fund…

Jan 26 • Sean S. Reinhart

Give Oaklanders what they want and need: a strong mayor

Former mayor Libby Schaaf lays out the case for a citizens’ initiative to reform Oakland’s charter and put in place a true strong-mayor form of…

Jan 22 • Oakland Report

Commentary: Why I changed my mind about Oakland school closures

A former Oakland Unified School District board member shares why he voted for school closures in 2022, after voting against them in 2021.

Jan 20 • Oakland Report

Flashback: Alameda County sells its stake in the Oakland Coliseum for $85 million (2019)

To make sense of the present, one must know the past: A look back at the board of supervisors’ 2019 decision to sell the county’s half of the Oakland…

Jan 16 • Oakland Report

Oakland Coliseum: Alameda County set to buy back half, then sell to developer with history of missing payments

Also: Oakland Unified School District’s ten-year enrollment trend report shows steep decline — Oakland Agenda Watch

Jan 13 • Alex Montana

Commentary: Oakland needs a council-manager government — or needs to eliminate ranked-choice voting

A former city council member and mayoral candidate explains why he changed his mind about Oakland's form of government.

Jan 10 • Loren Taylor

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Analysis

Police dispatch time improvements sidelined after the Privacy Advisory Commission

Oakland has one of the slowest 9-1-1 response times in the state. A likely time-saving technology was debated by citizen-run organizations that aim to…

Jan 1 • Rajni Mandal

Oakland’s quarterly financial report is delayed until March, amplifying budget risks

The city is skipping its Q1 Revenue and Expenditures Report this year. And the Q2 report will not be available until early March, leaving only four…

Dec 24, 2025 • Tim Gardner

Oakland schools budgeting 101: how OUSD spends money

OUSD’s board and leadership are struggling with a nine-figure budget crisis. Here, we zoom out on how OUSD spends money relative to other comparable…

Dec 2, 2025 • Bob Borek

City set to forgive $8 million loan to affordable housing landlord

East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation (EBALDC) says that two properties will be foreclosed – and affordable deed restrictions removed – unless…

Dec 1, 2025 • Sean S. Reinhart

The city that sues itself: how the Privacy Advisory Commission enables conflicts of interest

Oakland’s tangled web of citizen commissions takes authority (and accountability) out of the hands of elected officials

Nov 16, 2025 • Alex Montana

Radar

Oakland set to declare “extreme fiscal necessity” again, coordinate with unions to increase property taxes

City council finance committee to review the FY 2024-25 revenue and expenditure report, annual consolidated financial report, and a proposed parcel tax…

Feb 10 • Sean S. Reinhart

New taxes: Oakland public employee unions collecting signatures for a new parcel tax

The city council is already counting the money — they added $40 million in hoped-for income to the city budget, assuming that voters will approve the…

Feb 3 • Oakland Report

Oakland Police federal oversight: A different tone in court signals a potential end to NSA

Oakland Police Department has been under federal oversight since 2003. Yesterday, Judge William Orrick said he is “very optimistic about the future” for…

Jan 28 • Rajni Mandal

Oakland prostitution enforcement and support services up for revisions

Public safety committee proposal would shift enforcement focus away from sex workers and toward buyers of commercial sex, and create a new support fund…

Jan 26 • Sean S. Reinhart

Flashback: Alameda County sells its stake in the Oakland Coliseum for $85 million (2019)

To make sense of the present, one must know the past: A look back at the board of supervisors’ 2019 decision to sell the county’s half of the Oakland…

Jan 16 • Oakland Report

Commentary

Any charter amendment that does not eliminate ranked-choice voting is a waste of time

Also: OUSD board members accept our invitation to break bread; Democracy Dollars wasn’t enough for council members; Prostitution has exploded since…

Feb 7 • Oakland Report and Sean S. Reinhart

Counterpoint: Oakland prostitution enforcement and support services up for revisions

Charlene Wang's policy director responds to our article reporting on the councilmember's proposal to revise local laws concerning prostitution.

Jan 28 • Oakland Report

Give Oaklanders what they want and need: a strong mayor

Former mayor Libby Schaaf lays out the case for a citizens’ initiative to reform Oakland’s charter and put in place a true strong-mayor form of…

Jan 22 • Oakland Report

Commentary: Why I changed my mind about Oakland school closures

A former Oakland Unified School District board member shares why he voted for school closures in 2022, after voting against them in 2021.

Jan 20 • Oakland Report

Commentary: Oakland needs a council-manager government — or needs to eliminate ranked-choice voting

A former city council member and mayoral candidate explains why he changed his mind about Oakland's form of government.

Jan 10 • Loren Taylor

Disarming disinformation

It doesn’t matter what they say – it only matters what they do.

Dec 31, 2025 • Oakland Report

Oakland is beautiful and we deserve better - Letters to the Editor

Also: Two Oakland school board members accept our dinner invitation; Billboards evoke strong response; Charter reform debate; Potholes are bad for…

Dec 28, 2025 • Oakland Report, Sean S. Reinhart, and Tim Gardner

Podcasts

Oakland Report Podcast

PODCAST: Oakland leaders perpetuate misinformation to justify public safety cuts

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Sean S. Reinhart

Oakland set to declare “extreme fiscal necessity” again, coordinate with unions to increase property taxes

Oakland Report

Any charter amendment that does not eliminate ranked-choice voting is a waste of time

Tim Gardner

Oakland is beautiful and we deserve better - Letters to the Editor

Bob Borek

Oakland school board (OUSD) approves $102.5 million in budget cuts in 5-2 vote

Top posts

Oakland leaders perpetuate misinformation to justify public safety cuts

Nov 30, 2024 • Tim Gardner

We can balance Oakland’s budget without selling the future

Oct 13, 2024 • Tim Gardner

Oakland paid $450M in 2023 for pension costs and above-inflation wage increases

Sep 10, 2024 • Tim Gardner

City set to forgive $8 million loan to affordable housing landlord

Dec 1, 2025 • Sean S. Reinhart

Oakland's city employee counts show a dramatic shift in service priorities over five years

Dec 17, 2024 • Tim Gardner

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Oakland Report provides reasoned, evidence-based analyses and critiques of the policies, actions, and inactions of our city, county, and state governments.

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