Oakland Budget Cuts Impacts Jobs, Zoo

The city will reduce funding for the zoo, Children's Fairyland and more.

Oakland unveiled painful budget cuts this week that preserves police services at the cost of popular children's attractions.

Mayor Jean Quan announced that more than $28 million would be cut from the city's budget. The majority of the cuts will come from Oakland's $388 million general fund.

Oakland had sent lay off notices to about 2,500 employees last week but under the new proposal will see 105 jobs eliminated.

Quan blamed the elimination of redevelopment funds, at least in part, for the cut backs. The state is scheduled to eliminate the funds on Feb. 1.

"It's not clean and neat. We wish it were," Quan told The San Francisco Chronicle. "For California's older, larger cities, like Oakland, losing these redevelopment funds has been very, very tough."

To save money, Oakland will combine several of its departments to cut costs, it will eliminate funding for several programs, including the Jack London Aquatic Center and it will reduce funding for the Oakland Zoo and Ferry land by 40 percent.

The Oakland City Council will discuss the budget on Jan. 31.
 

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