Bay Area

Declaring a Fiscal Emergency is Unnecessary, Say City Leaders

“The Oakland City Council is prioritizing community safety, housing security, essential services to keep our city safe, healthy and vibrant, and collecting outstanding revenue that are owed – as well as transparency in making fiscally sound decisions based on real financial data,” Vice-Mayor and Councilmember-at Large Rebecca Kaplan said in a written statement to the Oakland Post discussing the City Council budget discussion.

Published

1 year ago

December 14, 2024

Ken Epstein

Vice-Mayor and Councilmember-at Large Rebecca Kaplan. File photo.

Council proposes solutions to city’s budget challenges

Community urges county to move forward on Coliseum development

By Ken Epstein

The Oakland City Council has identified proposals for stronger fiscal solutions and will be able to avoid declaring a fiscal emergency in Oakland, according to Vice-Mayor and Councilmember-at Large Rebecca Kaplan.

“The Oakland City Council is prioritizing community safety, housing security, essential services to keep our city safe, healthy and vibrant, and collecting outstanding revenue that are owed – as well as transparency in making fiscally sound decisions based on real financial data,” Kaplan said in a written statement to the Oakland Post discussing the City Council budget discussion.

With a new report brought to Council at its Dec. 9 special budget meeting, there are now several important improvements. The recommendation for declaring a fiscal emergency has been removed, clarifying that Oakland is NOT at risk of insolvency, she said.

Additionally, extra funds from special fund sources and enterprise funds, have been identified that are available to be used to ensure fiscal solvency.

“Yesterday, the City Council discussed a ‘Back to Basics’ approach to our budget and city services,” said Council President Nikki Fortunato-Bas. “While our financial situation requires action, the Council has previously provided direction to the City Administrator through the contingency budget, and we discussed the City Administrator’s further proposals for how to rebalance our Midcycle Budget to close our current fiscal year projected deficit.”

“Importantly, we are ensuring our reserve is at the required level, and we do not need to declare a fiscal emergency under our Consolidated Fiscal Policy,” she said.

Kaplan said, “It is vital to protect core public services and the long-term fiscal solvency of our city.”

Continuing, she said, “I am honored that extra available funds I had previously identified have been confirmed and are being incorporated into budget strategies, allowing Oakland to reduce cuts and restore reserves.”

In addition, she said, Important public-serving and revenue-generating functions are being strengthened, including to reduce blight and provide safer, cleaner streets.”

Councilmember Carroll Fife said she appreciated the leadership of Bas’s new budget team who worked with the City Administrator and the Finance Department “to get us on the right track through exploration of all available options for fiscal stability.”

“No doubt we are facing challenges, but I am confident that the decisions we are making will set us up for long-term success,” Fife said. “I am particularly grateful for the institutional memory and fiscal acumen of Councilmember Rebecca Kaplan, who weeks ago suggested some of the steps now being taken that averts the crisis previously communicated to the public. This is a better deal for Oakland.”

‘The safety of the community is front-of-mind,” said Kaplan. “It is vital to protect the public from dangerous hazards, including crime and violence, fires, traffic dangers, and more.”

This new balanced and comprehensive approach protects and strengthens these vital investments in our safety, she said. The Fire Department, which had been preserved from cuts in July, was able to rapidly stop the Keller Fire from growing out of control, preventing a repeat of the horrific loss of life and homes during the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire.

Investments in the Oakland Police Department and the Department of Violence Prevention have yielded the fastest and most dramatic reduction in homicides in our city’s history, with levels now far below those of the prior several years, said Kaplan.

“The City’s deep investments in public safety over the past year continue to pay off, with homicides down 34% year-to-date and overall crime down by 33% since last year,” she said.

“Our Public Safety Leadership team is very strong with OPD Chief Floyd Mitchell, Department of Violence Prevention (DVP) Chief Dr. Holly Joshi, OFD Chief Damon Covington, and their deputy chiefs having over a century of collective experience in Oakland,” Bas said.

The budget proposals preserve Oakland’s Ceasefire violence intervention strategy, prioritize OPD patrol and investigations, and continue services to improve 911 response times, with 71% of calls answered within 15 seconds or less – a dramatic improvement over the prior year, Kaplan added.

“Oakland’s investments in sidewalk repair, street paving, clearing abandoned autos, and safer conditions on our roadways are improving both safety and quality of life,” she said. “The proposals restore funding for important and needed bicycle and pedestrian safety projects, street paving, parking enforcement, and more.”

Along with budget balancing actions in the immediate term, city leaders continue to urge the County to act on the Coliseum land sale, which will strengthen development and bring in revenue to support City and County needs, she said.

Bas said that over 90 speakers at the budget meeting spoke passionately about the city’s cultural arts, senior services, safety, parks and recreation, wage theft enforcement, community well-being, and calling on the County to move forward on Coliseum development.

Speakers also expressed appreciation for the thousands of dedicated city workers – including those who made recommendations for a more sustainable budget and identified efficient and effective strategies.

Ken Epstein

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Activism

Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 18 – 24, 2026

Published

2 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

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Bay Area

CITY OF SAN LEANDRO STATE OF CALIFORNIA PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT ENGINEERING DIVISION NOTICE TO BIDDERS FOR ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III

WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 20, 2026

Oakland Post

PROJECT NO. 2020.0050

BID NO. 25-26.011

BID OPENING: The bidder shall complete the “Proposal to the City of San Leandro” form contained in the Contract Book. The proposal shall be submitted in its entirety. Incomplete proposals will be considered non-responsive. Sealed bids containing the completed Proposal Section subject to the conditions named herein and in the specifications for ANNUAL STREET OVERLAY/REHABILITATION 2019-21 – PHASE III/PROJECT NO. 2020.0050 addressed to the City of San Leandro will be received at City Hall, 835 East 14^th Street, 2^nd Floor San Leandro at the office of the City Clerk up to 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at which time they will be publicly opened and read.
WORK DESCRIPTION: The work to be done consists of roadway paving, base cement stabilization, concrete curb ramps, driveways, sidewalks, curbs and gutters, traffic detection loops and pavement striping, and doing all appurtenant work in place and ready for use, all as shown on the plans and described in the specifications with the title indicated in Paragraph 1 above, and on file in the office of the City Engineer. Reference to said plans and specifications is hereby made for further particulars.
OBTAINING THE PROJECT PLANS AND CONTRACT BOOK: The project plans and Contract Book may be obtained free of charge from the City’s website at:https://www.sanleandro.org/Bids.aspx Bidders who download the plans are encouraged to contact the City of San Leandro Public Works Department Engineering division at 510-577-3428 to be placed on the project planholder’s list to receive courtesy notifications of addenda and other project information. Project addenda, if any, will be posted on the website. A bidder who fails to address all project addenda in its proposal may be deemed non-responsive.Bidders may also purchase the Project Plans and Contract Book from East Bay Blueprint & Supply Co., at 1745 14^th Street, Oakland, CA 94606; Phone Number: (510) 261-2990 or email: ebbp@eastbayblueprint.com.
PRE-BID CONFERENCE: A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM and on Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM as follows:
Tuesday, February 24, 2026, at 2:00 PM
Zoom Meeting ID: 883 8752 6074
Passcode: 502955
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/88387526074?pwd=hZ5rjB8AWdLAUem3CtByFiZxqKarHj.1
And
Wednesday, February 25, 2026, at 10:00 AM
Zoom Meeting ID: 898 2672 0472
Passcode: 091848
Zoom Link: https://sanleandro-org.zoom.us/j/89826720472?pwd=JgZX2nXMpLSRM5xDPr7EJUxl7QIznr.1The information presented at the conferences will be identical, all bidders must attend one of the pre-bid conference and sign the attendance sheet. A firm that didn’t attend the pre-bid conference isn’t qualified to bid on the project.Questions regarding the plans and specifications may be submitted in writing to the project engineer until 5:00 p.m. five (5) days before, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays, bids must be received by the City. The City will not respond to oral questions outside of the pre-bid conference. The response, if any, will be by written addendum only. Oral responses do not constitute a revision to these plans or specifications.
VALUE OF WORK: The Engineer has estimated that the value of work is between $1,000,000 and $5,000,000.
SAN LEANDRO BUSINESS PREFERENCE AND PARTICIPATION GOALS: The work performed under this contract is subject to Section 1-6-225 of the San Leandro Municipal Code regarding local business preference and participation. A list of companies that hold a San Leandro business license is located on the City webpage under the finance department, here: https://www.sanleandro.org/340/Business-License
SAN LEANDRO COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AGREEMENT: The work performed under this contract is subject to the Community Workforce Agreement adopted by City Council Resolution 2015-104. Contractors attention is directed to Section 10.