Oakland budget proposal includes $63 million in cuts

(KRON) — The City of Oakland administration submitted a budget proposal that includes $63 million in cuts, councilmember Treva Reid said Tuesday.

Officials are working to balance a $2.2 billion midcycle budget. According to Reid, the city is facing a $177 million deficit.

According to councilmember Nikki Fortunato Bas, there are two proposed budget options. One includes amendments assuming the sale of the Oakland Coliseum is completed by Sep. 30 and contingencies if the money is not received. The second does not include the money from the sale and entails “drastic cuts across the board and to public safety,” according to Fortunato Bas.

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“While our deficit is significant, so too is our commitment to retaining the services on which our families, local businesses, and communities rely — Oaklanders want and deserve no less,” Fortunato Bas said.

The budget cuts will impact several city departments, including the Oakland Police Department, Reid said in a letter.

The proposed budget would freeze 18 vacant OPD officer positions, bringing the department’s number of budgeted positions down to 678. It will have fewer sworn personnel assigned to its Youth and School Section, per Reid.

In her letter outlining the budget, Reid emphasized the importance of discipline when forming the budget, given the city’s large deficit.

“History has shown that it is fiscally irresponsible to budget unrealized funds without a financial or purchase agreement, stated project milestones, or a contingency plan if the projected funds are not secured on a complex real estate transaction for public land,” she said.

The city council will meet on Friday afternoon to discuss the new budget.

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