Oakland preparing for transfer of leadership as it faces financial uncertainty
Oakland is getting a better picture of how big changes might unfold at city hall, just as the city's financial problems demand painful decisions.
On Wednesday, leaders laid out their plans for the exchange of power following the recall of Mayor Sheng Thao. And the city's next round of leadership will take over facing some very big challenges.
"At our Dec. 17 council meeting, we will declare the results of the Nov. 5 election," said Nikki Fortunato Bas. "It is anticipated the council will declare the office of the mayor vacant, and as council president, I will serve as interim mayor."
In about two weeks, Oakland's government will be In upheaval. Mayor Sheng Thao will be out. Fortunato Bas will take over.
And that's just the first step in a process that could leave Oakland with four mayors in as many months. Because when January comes, the council will apparently fill that position a second time.
"City Council on Jan. 6 will elect its next council president and that council president will serve as a mayor until the special election and swearing in," Fortunato Bas explained.
"You let the city council elect a new council president in December," said Brenda Harbin-Forte.
A retired Judge, Harbin-Forte was a recall supporter. She said the proposal is unnecessarily complicated. She said there's no need for the possibility of two interim mayors when there could be one.
"That council president, in December, becomes interim mayor, and there is no change in the interim mayor position until the special election in April," Harbin-Forte said of her competing plan.
But the musical chairs in city hall aren't the biggest challenge facing Oakland right now.
"So, what we are clearly trying to achieve here is stability and continuity of leadership and a singular focus on our financial sustainability," Fortunato Bas said of the strategy.
And Oakland's financial situation has produced more bad news. Fitch dropped Oakland's credit rating based on the $79 million budget shortfall, and the city's changing elected leadership. Harbin-Forte said that's not the fault of the recall.
"The responsibility for the damage to the credit rating is and can be laid on the shoulders of Nikki Bass as council president, the mayor, and the other council members who have mismanaged our fiscal situation," Harbin-Forte said.
And that situation is about to be inherited by a new government, with a handful of new faces on the council and a new mayor.
"It's a tall order for anybody," said District 1 Councilmember Dan Kalb. "The new council members will have to get up to speed pretty quickly. And that's part of the responsibility. That's what they signed up for."
So, it's a confluence of political and financial uncertainty, with high stakes for a city where the specter of insolvency has been mentioned, with the clock ticking.
"My message today is that we are banding together to ensure that the city is incredibly strong, incredibly resilient, and committed to doing the work that we know Oaklanders deserve," Fortunato Bas said.
As for the next step as far as addressing the budget, there's a meeting set for Monday of next week, when the city government, as it exists now, will take up that work. And as one supervisor said, that will be the process of making "tough decisions." And that's a job that will be facing the next Oakland government as well.
With Fortunato Bas heading to a new role as County Supervisor, Oakland City Council will also have a vacancy in District 2. The council will also have to fill that seat - by appointment - until voters can pick a new representative in the same April election that will select the next mayor.
