A new group in Oakland says the city government is dysfunctional and wants to amend the city charter to fix it.
The Oakland Charter Reform Project is being co-led by former Oakland City Administrator Steven Falk. The group wants to place a ballot measure before voters next year that would change and redefine the roles of the mayor and top administrators.
The Oaklandside reports that the proposed amendment would strengthen the powers of the mayor. It would restore the mayor to serve as the city’s chief legislator and be a regular voting member of the city council. That was Oakland’s system until the late 1990s.
The proposed amendment would also make the job of hiring the city manager and city attorney a joint appointment by the mayor and the city council. The Oakland Charter Reform Project hopes to bring its proposal before voters in the June 2026 primary.
