City Government

City Seeks to Renew Measure Y Public Safety Tax

Published

12 years ago

April 11, 2014

Local leaders are encouraged by the results of new poll showing that most voters support renewing the city’s Measure Y parcel tax to pay for police salaries and programs to reduce violent crime and keep students in school.

The measure, which expires at the end of this year, was passed by voters in 2004 and raised about $20 million a year, based on both a $98 per year parcel tax on Oakland property and a parking tax

Joe Tuman

assessment.

The annual pot of money pays $12 million for increased policing resources, $8 million for community-based violence prevention programs and $4 million for fire department personnel to keep two fire stations open.

“There are things we should celebrate – Oaklanders overwhelming support continuing our efforts to keep us safer,” said Lynette Gibson McElhaney, speaking at Tuesday evening’s meeting of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee.

However, McElhaney also sounded a cautionary note.

“We need to do more to earn the public’s trust,” she said. “We need to be very sober about what we can do. The measure needs to focus its resources in a few of the key areas where the funds will have an impact, she said.

Conducted by EMC Research for the city in March, the poll found that 82 percent of voters support continuing the measure for another 10 years, without increasing the property tax.

Only 53 percent of voters indicated they support a measure that doubles the tax to $196 a year. In order to pass, a parcel tax must receive at least two-thirds, or 67 percent, of the vote.

As in 2004, residents’ top priorities are split between improving police services and support for

crime reduction programs. The poll found that most people want the money to be spent on reducing gun violence, improving police and emergency response, support for at-risk youth and increasing high school graduation rates.

“Community safety and gun violence reduction are critical concerns for (our) members,” said Pastor Billy Dixon, Oakland Community Organizations (OCO) board member.

“We believe this measure must ensure a balanced approach between proven violence reduction strategies and law enforcement.”

The poll also found that most residents believe the city is going in the wrong direction. However, those who say the city is going in “the wrong direction” has dropped since August 2013 from 59 percent to 50 percent.

In the same period, the percent that say the city is going “in the right direction” has increased from 17 percent to 33 percent.

Asked whether they feel safer today than they did a year ago, 22 percent said safer, 33 percent did not know or said it has not changed, and 45 percent said they felt less safe.

The poll was released at Tuesday’s Public Safety Committee meeting. The results are based on telephone responses of 600 Oakland residents, conducted in English, Spanish and Chinese.

The council is not expected to place tax measure on the ballot until July. At present, most council members are leaning toward maintaining the current tax rate.

Supporting the current tax rate are Councilmembers Libby Schaaf, Lynette Gibson McElhaney, Noel Gallo and Rebecca Kaplan. “We would all love to increase those resources, but let us not risk what we have today by being overly greedy and just out of touch with reality, “said Schaaf.

The city should be satisfied with the current tax rate, especially since garbage bill is set to go up substantially this year, and the school district is also seeking a parcel tax in November, said District 5 Councilmember Gallo.

Councilmember Kaplan emphasized that the city must address residents’ concerns. “If we’re going

Rebecca Kaplan. Photo courtesy of Oakland Local.

to ask that Oakland voters continue trusting City Hall with their public safety dollars, then we owe them a promise that we won’t lay off (any more) police officers.”

The Oakland City Council voted in 2010 to lay off 80 police officers – Kaplan voted no. “Voters need to know that City Hall won’t be allowed to make the same mistake again,” she said. “We must stop the crazy roller coaster of deep police cuts.”

Community leaders also want to be sure the city will live up to its promises, based on its track record for the past 10 years.

“There are a lot of people who are very skeptical about Measure Y,” said Joe Tuman, a mayoral candidate who has closely followed how the city has spent the money.

“Promises were made and assurances given. But as we got down the road with this, the city did not keep its promises.”

“We need some very specific language (in the new measure), that says exactly what you are going to do with this money,” he said. “Exactly how many police will be hired? How many is the city itself going to pay for? If you are going to pay for programs, how you will evaluate whether they are effective?”

Rashidah Grinage of People United for a Better Life in Oakland (PUEBL0) also complained about the city’s failure to monitor how funds were spent. “Evaluations that had been done were not adequate,” she said.

She also said the city did not deliver on its promise to implement community policing, to fully staff and support problem solving officers.

“In certain sections in the of the community, there’s a feeling of betrayal,” she said. “We have to be able to trust that commitments that are being made will be kept.”

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Oakland Post: Week of December 24 – 30, 2025

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – December 24 – 30, 2025

Published

2 days ago

December 25, 2025

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To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

Oakland Council Expands Citywide Security Cameras Despite Major Opposition

In a 7-1 vote in favor of the contract, with only District 3 Councilmember Carroll Fife voting no, the Council agreed to maintain its existing network of 291 cameras and add 40 new “pan-tilt-zoom cameras.”

Published

6 days ago

December 21, 2025

Oakland Post

At the International Association of Chiefs of Police Conference, Flock Safety introduces new public safety technology – Amplified Intelligence, a suite of AI-powered tools designed to improve law enforcement investigations. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

The Oakland City Council this week approved a $2.25 million contract with Flock Safety for a mass surveillance network of hundreds of security cameras to track vehicles in the city.

In recent weeks hundreds of local residents have spoken against the camera system, raising concerns that data will be shared with immigration authorities and other federal agencies at a time when mass surveillance is growing across the country with little regard for individual rights.

The Flock network, supported by the Oakland Police Department, has the backing of residents and councilmembers who see it as an important tool to protect public safety.

“This system makes the Department more efficient as it allows for information related to disruptive/violent criminal activities to be captured … and allows for precise and focused enforcement,” OPD wrote in its proposal to City Council.

According to OPD, police made 232 arrests using data from Flock cameras between July 2024 and November of this year.

Based on the data, police say they recovered 68 guns, and utilizing the countywide system, they have found 1,100 stolen vehicles.

However, Flock’s cameras cast a wide net. The company’s cameras in Oakland last month captured license plate numbers and other information from about 1.4 million vehicles.

Speaking at Tuesday’s Council meeting, Fife was critical of her colleagues for signing a contract with a company that has been in the national spotlight for sharing data with federal agencies.

Flock’s cameras – which are automated license plate readers – have been used in tracking people who have had abortions, monitoring protesters, and aiding in deportation roundups.

“I don’t know how we get up and have several press conferences talking about how we are supportive of a sanctuary city status but then use a vendor that has been shown to have a direct relationship with (the U.S.) Border Control,” she said. “It doesn’t make sense to me.”

Several councilmembers who voted in favor of the contract said they supported the deal as long as some safeguards were written into the Council’s resolution.

“We’re not aiming for perfection,” said District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is not Orwellian facial recognition technology — that’s prohibited in Oakland. The road forward here is to add as many amendments as we can.”

Amendments passed by the Council prohibit OPD from sharing camera data with any other agencies for the purpose of “criminalizing reproductive or gender affirming healthcare” or for federal immigration enforcement. California state law also prohibits the sharing of license plate reader data with the federal government, and because Oakland’s sanctuary city status, OPD is not allowed to cooperate with immigration authorities.

A former member of Oakland’s Privacy Advisory Commission has sued OPD, alleging that it has violated its own rules around data sharing.

So far, OPD has shared Flock data with 50 other law enforcement agencies.

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Black Arts Movement Business District Named New Cultural District in California

Located in the heart of District 3, the BAMBD is widely regarded as one of the nation’s most important centers of Black cultural production — a space where artists, entrepreneurs, organizers, and cultural workers have shaped generations of local and national identity. The state’s recognition affirms the district’s historic importance and its future promise.

Published

6 days ago

December 20, 2025

Oakland Post

Councilmember Carroll Fife celebrates major milestone for Black arts, culture, and economic power in Oakland. Courtesy photo.

By Post Staff

Oakland’s Black Arts Movement Business District (BAMBD) has been selected as one of California’s 10 new state-designated Cultural Districts, a distinction awarded by the California Arts Council (CAC), according to a media statement released by Councilmember Carroll Fife.

The BAMBD now joins 23 other districts across the state recognized for their deep cultural legacy, artistic excellence, and contributions to California’s creative economy.

“This designation is a testament to what Black Oakland has built — and what we continue to build when we insist on investing in our own cultural and economic power,” said Fife.

“For years, our community has fought for meaningful recognition and resources for the Black Arts Movement Business District,” she said. “This announcement validates that work and ensures that BAMBD receives the support it needs to grow, thrive, and continue shaping the cultural fabric of California.”

Since taking office, Fife has led and supported multiple initiatives that strengthened the groundwork for this achievement, including:

Restoring and protecting arts and cultural staffing within the City of Oakland.
Creating the West Oakland Community Fund to reinvest in historically excluded communities
Advancing a Black New Deal study to expand economic opportunity for Black Oakland
Ensuring racial equity impact analyses for development proposals, improving access for Black businesses and Black contractors
Introduced legislation and budget amendments that formalized, protected, and expanded the BAMBD

“These efforts weren’t abstract,” Fife said. “They were intentional, coordinated, and rooted in a belief that Black arts and Black businesses deserve deep, sustained public investment.”

As part of the Cultural District designation, BAMBD will receive:

$10,000 over two years
Dedicated technical assistance
Statewide marketing and branding support
Official designation from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2030

This support will elevate the visibility of BAMBD’s artists, cultural organizations, small businesses, and legacy institutions, while helping attract new investment to the district.

“The BAMBD has always been more than a district,” Fife continued. “This recognition by the State of California gives us another tool in the fight to preserve Black culture, build Black economic power, and protect the families and institutions that make Oakland strong.”

For questions, contact Councilmember Carroll Fife at CFife@oaklandca.gov.