Mayor Barbara Lee: Strengthening government accountability through charter reform
Mayor's charter reform working group published its recommendations for reforming Oakland's governance model
BY BARBARA LEE
Editor’s note: Oakland Report’s charter reform series is exploring Oakland’s city charter and how it potentially could change — a question that Oakland voters may be asked on the ballot in 2026. We invited Mayor Barbara Lee to offer her perspective on Oakland’s governance model. Other installments in this series share counterpoint perspectives from other prominent participants in the charter reform debate.
Our city charter was written for a different era — and it’s time to bring it into this one
As Mayor, my conviction is straightforward: Oakland’s city government must be as effective as possible for the people who live here. But effective government requires the right structures, the right systems, and the willingness to ask whether what we have today is truly built for the challenges ahead.
That question starts with our foundation. Oakland has dedicated public servants, but even the most committed people need modern systems to do their best work. Our city charter was written for a different era — and it’s time to bring it into this one.
That’s why one of my first acts as Mayor was to convene the Mayor’s Working Group on Charter Reform. Facilitated by the League of Women Voters of Oakland and SPUR, the group spent five months doing critical work: listening.
More than 750 residents showed up to public meetings in every district. More than 400 submitted surveys. Current and former city staff weighed in. Governance models from across the country were studied. The result is a clear-eyed look at what it would take for Oakland to truly deliver for its residents.
The League of Women Voters of Oakland and SPUR also facilitated meetings with Working Group members who volunteered their time. The group worked independently to examine Charter Reform recommendations that could improve how City Hall functions to increase accountability and deliver effective results for Oaklanders.
I specifically requested that the Working Group focus on three areas that prioritized the issues I heard repeatedly from Oaklanders:
Clear definition of the roles of elected officials
Ways to better address responsible city financial planning
Ways to improve government accountability and transparency.
Working Group’s key recommendations
1. Move to a “strong-mayor” form of government
The Working Group recommended a strong-mayor system of government where there is no ambiguity on who is ultimately accountable for City operations and service delivery to the community.
In a strong-mayor system, the Mayor serves as the city’s chief executive, responsible for running city operations and delivering services, while retaining a professional City Administrator to oversee core internal city functions. The City Council serves as the legislative branch, responsible for passing laws, approving the budget, and overseeing the Mayor’s administration.
This model creates a clearer separation of powers, so residents know who is responsible for results. Clarity about roles and responsibilities can not only cut through the confusion and set the stage for more effective and responsive government, but support the achievement of greater equity across Oakland’s neighborhoods.
2. Move to a full-time city council
The Working Group recommended streamlining the number of City Councilmembers and moving to a system of full-time councilmembers who are prohibited from outside employment, a model that other cities have — while noting that councilmember oversight powers should also be clearly articulated in the City Charter to allow for stronger powers of inquiry, including the ability to conduct legislative hearings.
3. Create a new budget and legislative analyst office
The Working Group recommended strengthening the City’s legislative branch, including a permanent, professional budget and legislative analyst office to provide unbiased, independent fiscal and policy analysis, similar to structures in Los Angeles, San Diego and the California Legislature.
4. Retain the elected city attorney and city auditor
There were no recommended changes to the directly-elected independent City Auditor or the directly-elected independent City Attorney.
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These are just some of the many recommendations that could shape the future of our City for generations, if they are implemented. Any changes to the City Charter must be voted on by Oakland voters.
The Working Group continues to offer opportunities for Oaklanders to stay informed. The League of Women Voters of Oakland and SPUR held their first of two informational community sessions to present their report findings and respond directly to Oaklanders’ questions last Tuesday, Feb. 17 at OakStop. Their second community information session is coming up on Monday, Feb. 23 at 6:00 p.m. at Allen Temple.
I encourage Oaklanders to participate in the community session on on February 23 to learn more and read the full report at: mayorbarbaralee.com/charter-reform
To those of you who have already volunteered your time to provide your suggestions, thank you.
Working together, we will keep Oakland On the Move, and Oaklanders will decide how our city moves forward.
The views expressed in our Commentaries do not necessarily reflect the editorial views of Oakland Report or its contributing writers
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Barbara Lee was elected Mayor of Oakland in a special election conducted on April 15, 2025. Prior to her election, Mayor Lee represented the people of Oakland as California State Assembly Member, California State Senator, and U.S. Congressional representative for over three decades.
As Oakland’s Congresswoman, Mayor Lee secured billions of dollars to improve Oakland’s neighborhoods and quality of life — including funding for local police officers, firefighters, and community safety programs; money for safer and greener streets; resources to uplift small businesses; and hundreds of millions to expand and green the Port of Oakland. She is the first Black woman to be elected Mayor of Oakland.
Mayor Lee has been a strong advocate for ethics reform and budget accountability, creating good paying union jobs, common sense gun reform, the expansion of home ownership opportunities, and effective solutions to homelessness — experience she will use in her executive position as Oakland’s Mayor.
During her years as a graduate student, Mayor Lee founded the Community Health Alliance for Neighborhood Growth and Education (CHANGE), a community-based mental health center, and is also a former small business owner. A clinical social worker by profession, Mayor Lee received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Mills College and her Masters in Social Welfare from the University of California, Berkeley.
None of this will matter without voting reform:
- Get rid of ranked choice voting
- Require voter ID
- In person voting tallied on election day, no votes received after election day counted
As it stands now, public employee unions can hijack the decision making for the city. A large portion of them do not live in Oakland, and they use their power to loot legal residents of the city. They are a big part of the election fraud that has turned Oakland into a one party regime. Return the power to the people by ensuring one vote per legal resident.
Yes. Of course do this. If so many other more successful towns/cities have this structure, then why on early did it take 5 months to listen? And now another many months to structure this? And more months to probably not do this?
Just change it. Just bring it to the voters NOW.
Stop grandstanding and get actual work done and change made.
Please.
We the citizens are (sometimes literally) dying out here while work groups chat on…