City Government

City Council Ignores the Will of Voters to Pass Measure AA

Published

6 years ago

December 20, 2018

OAKLAND POST

By Greg McConnell and Mimi Rohr, Jobs and Housing Coalition

On Friday, Dec. 14, Oakland City Council convened a special meeting to certify and declare the passage of Measure AA, the Oakland Children’s Initiative, despite the fact that the measure failed to receive the required two-thirds vote needed for passage at the ballot box.
After the votes were counted and the measure fell short of a two-thirds vote, the mayor’s office asserted that the measure only required a simple majority to pass. This is contrary to the official voter guide sent to all voters which said in multiple places that a two-thirds vote was required.
Moreover, the City Attorney, Barbara Parker, concluded that Measure AA was a parcel tax that required a two-thirds vote to pass. Neither Mayor Libby Schaaf nor the council nor anyone else said anything to the contrary until after the election when they found out they had lost.
We believe there is a strong case to overturn the city council’s action. As such, the Jobs and Housing Coalition is joining forces with the community to initiate a legal challenge to the city council’s action.
Regardless of the merits of the measure, and who doesn’t like children, the council’s vote, ignoring the will of the voters, is a stunning rebuke to the democratic process, and represents a huge breach of trust that businesses, residents and taxpayers will not let go uncorrected.
More than a dozen people showed up at the council meeting to oppose the council’s action. They asserted that the issue is not whether Measure AA is a good measure, the issue is: How dare the council refuse to accept the will of the voters.
Lynette Gibson McElhaney, city councilmember for district three, was the only one to oppose the council’s action. She said it all when she told the council “it’s a sad day when we are saying that our voters have to sue us in order to perfect their will.”
The East Bay Times editorial board said this of the Council’s action: “To change the rules of the game now, after the ballots are counted, is a deplorable undermining of the election process.”
Oakland resident Georgia Richardson pointed out that no one is against children’s education, but this is about process. “What would you tell your children? If you don’t win under the current rules, change the rules? What message does this send to our children? We are doing something that we would not advise them to do.”
We understand that City Attorney Barbara Parker is going to ask the court to validate the council’s action. Members of the Jobs and Housing Coalition have created a legal defense fund and will aggressively litigate to uphold the will of the voters.
One of the ironies is that several Jobs and Housing Coalition members supported the mayor’s children’s fund with million-dollar contributions. But, just like many who spoke at the city council meeting, they feel frustrated by this election process. It’s plain wrong.
Greg McConnell and Mimi Rohr are the President and Di¬rector of Public Affairs of the Jobs and Housing Coalition. They can be reached at greg@jobsandhousing.com and mimi@jobsandhousing.com.

OAKLAND POST

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

6 days ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

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City Government

San Pablo Appoints New Economic Development and Housing Manager

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo. Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Kieron Slaughter. Photo courtesy of the City of San Pablo

The Richmond Standard

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo.

Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Before that he was an associate planner in the City of Richmond’s Planning and Building Services Department from 2007-2015.

San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez lauded Slaughter’s extensive experience in economic development, housing and planning, saying he will add a “valuable perspective to the City Manager’s Office.”

Slaughter, a Berkeley resident, will start in his new role on Nov. 12, with a base annual salary of $164,928, according to the City of San Pablo.

Oakland Post

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City Government

Aaron Osorio Rises Up Ranks to Become Richmond’s Fire Chief

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10. “I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.” Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond Fire Department Chief Aaron Osorio. Courtesy photo

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10.

“I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.”

Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Osorio is a San Francisco native who rose up the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief.

He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighters, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief. He said he truly loves working in this community.

While it isn’t common for a fire department to hire a chief that came up through its ranks, Osorio was credited by the city for serving Richmond well during uncommon times.

The city lauded him for developing internal policies and vaccination clinics during the initial COVID response, for supporting activation of the emergency operations center in response to a potential mudslide disaster in Seacliff last year, helping to draft mutual aid agreements and working to increase fire response capabilities for industrial incidents.

He’s also led departmental hiring and recruitment since 2018.

Osorio said it is an honor to be hired as chief and has big plans for the department moving forward. He said he wants to continue hiring and promoting for vacant positions, and also completing a strategic plan guiding the direction of the organization.

He also aims to replace and renovate a number of fire department facilities placed on the Capital Improvement Plan and create new ways to recruit that will enhance the diversity of the department.

Osorio said his experience within, and love for, the city of Richmond puts him in a good position to lead the department. He says he knows what is needed and also the challenges that are unique to the city.

“I look forward to utilizing that institutional knowledge to move the fire department forward in a positive direction and enhance the services we provide to the community,” the chief said.

Osorio holds a bachelor of science degree in Fire Administration and is also a California State Fire Marshal-certified chief officer, company officer, and state instructor.

He also holds numerous certifications in fire, rescue, hazardous material, and incident command.

The chief has been married to his wife, Maria, for 26 years and they have two sons, Roman and Mateo.