Oakland mayor promises to not cut public safety in city budget

Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao said Thursday the city has found ways to address a nearly $300 million shortfall in the next two years.

Thao said the city found a way to do it without major impacts to public safety, essential services and layoffs.

"I will protect city services," Thao said. "My budget will not reduce public safety. My budget will not close firehouses or libraries or recreation centers."

Thao said the city successfully found ways to make up for a $117 million budget deficit this year and solve an additional $175 million shortfall coming next year.

"My midcycle budget adjustment is fiscally responsible, it's disciplined and maintains our focus on the issues that matter most to Oaklanders," she said.

Those issues are what Thao calls her five priorities. They include creating a safe city, economic development and addressing a longstanding structural budget deficit, including starting the budget process sooner in the future.

Thao added the sale of the city’s share of the Coliseum complex is helping to close the gap.

"We're just thankful that the stars kind of aligned," she said. "However, at the end of the day, we will still be working towards making sure that we address the structural deficit."

Cuts will include freezing around 100 city positions, reducing non-critical contracts and streamlining some services. But Thao said it avoids critical impacts the fire department was anticipating.

"We won't be closing firehouses," said Zac Unger, president of the Oakland firefighters’ union. "That's an incredible gift."

Unger said the department still needs more funding to keep pace with the city’s growing needs.

"I would love to increase resources for the fire department," he said. "Our rigs are aging, our firehouses are aging, and our population is growing and becoming more complicated in terms of the fire problems that we face."

While councilmembers have not seen the detailed budget yet, Councilman Noel Gallo is hoping the concrete numbers will show where money is being spent and saved.

"I just want to make sure that the numbers being presented financially are accurate and evaluated and don’t come back a month later and tell me, 'Well, guess what, we are still $60 million short,'" he said.

The budget will be released on Friday. The city council will have until the end of June to pass it.