Hi Neighbor:
On June 30, 2022, at 10 AM the Oakland City Council will discuss the Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-23 Midcycle Budget Amendments. In order to ensure that vital public needs are met, I have experience finding additional funding sources and I have continuously advocated for a city budget that is community centered. In early 2021, I found money to fund several vital city services that were proposed to be cut, including the closure of fire stations and cuts to Head Start, which we successfully averted. We worked to advocate with State leaders (thanks to Senator Skinner) for our vital civilian crisis responder program known as MACRO, and so this year's budget includes millions of dollars to fund MACRO services, from the state funding we won.
This week, I released my proposed amendments for Fiscal Year 2022-23, they include funding for several important community services with funds I identified as a representative of the City of Oakland, serving on the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority (OACCA) -- including millions from cost savings, and as a city representative on the Alameda County Transportation Commission (ACTC) -- I was able to identify 10% above projected revenues in Measure BB to help fund transportation needs. Below are a few highlights of my proposed budget, you can view the complete budget spreadsheets here: Link
Vice- Mayor Rebecca Kaplan’s FY 2022-23 Budget Amendments Highlights
- Affordable Housing and Emergency Shelter: Funding to support grassroots organizations providing our Oakland unsheltered community with emergency motel/hotel vouchers. Expanding support to help tenants and community organizations acquire housing to ensure long-term affordability. Support to improve housing accessibility for people with disabilities.
- Affordable Transportation: Funding for free BRT weekend service and Bulk AC Transit Passes for the participants and staff of youth, after school, violence prevention and other vital programs, to help ensure participants and staff can get there readily.
- City’s Permit Services: Funding for 2 additional positions at the Planning and Building Permit Counter to ease access and speed of processing for local projects, and Staff support for residents seeking to add Accessory Dwelling Units to their properties
- Feeding Our Community: Expanding our Summer Food Program & funding for additional food delivery programs -- who deliver food to our seniors and community members with mobility issues, and ensure access to healthy food for all.
- Local, Small, BIPOC Businesses and Contractors Support: Funding for Construction Resource Center (CRC) Program to improve small/local/minority contractor opportunity, and the Construction Mentor/Protégé Pilot Project, and funding Oakland Black Business Preservation.
- Re-Entry Services: Funding to support Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, to support housing and services for the re-entry population, including seniors.
- Reproductive Services Support and Protection: Funding for Planned Parenthood, to support reproductive services and protection, and urged the County and others to also increase their resources. "Oakland City Council passes resolution to make the city a pro-choice sanctuary" KTVU article
- Traffic Calming: Discretionary traffic calming funds for each council district to fund projects such as speed bumps and stop signs and diverters
- Wellness Hub: Funding for the "African American Wellness Hub" a partnership with Alameda County and Health navigators, that includes job training for health navigators and city responders
- Youth and Workforce: Funding for the Strategic planning of a year-long, intensive, youth-centered, adult ally - supported planning process for the Career Technical Education Hub.
Budget Spreadsheets: Link
As you may know, in the process of adopting the City’s Budget, the City Administration releases their proposed budget, then Council President and council members make their proposed amendments to the Administration's proposal. I encourage you to join me in asking my colleagues on the City Council to vote to approve my FY 22-23 Budget Amendments. You can speak during the public comment portion of Thursday’s Council meeting and/or email: council@oaklandca.gov
Public Comment is typically taken at the beginning of the meeting. Please use the “Raise Hand” feature when public comment is announced. Note, there may be several public speakers, please be patient as you wait for your name to be called by the City Clerk.
In Solidarity,
𝘙𝘦𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘤𝘢 𝘒𝘢𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯