Fiscal Year 2013-2015 Special Budget Meeting

HONORABLE CITY COUNCIL AND OAKLAND RESIDENTS Subject: FY 2013-2015 Proposed Policy Budget Date: April 17, 2013 Page 8 Going forward, we must recognize the vital contribution employees made and the major impacts those contributions had; while these budgets do not assume the renewal of those contributions, we know that by working with our employees to secure structural reform to the City's budget and finding long-term solutions together, we can prepare ourselves for the period of true growth Oakland needs and deserves. It will also be critical to bolster our dialogue with the broader Oakland community. The dialogue will have to include the possibility of a modest parcel tax the voters could approve to accelerate the restoration of staffing our police department. While the City has been prudent and smart in setting its financial house in order, we do not have a clear path to reach adequate police staffing without voters playing a part in funding that restoration. We have begun to heal from the devastating effects of the Great Recession, but that growth is modest and arriving at a pace that does not allow the fast action many residents are demanding. Oakland is like many other California cities and cities across the United States that have grappled with multi-year service reductions and budget shortfalls to a point where there are no longer any discretionary services left to eliminate. It’s no longer about “doing more with less” or hoping for a full recovery. It is about acknowledging that we have weathered a very bad fiscal storm, put strong fiscal measures in place that have shown positive results, and now know what the future holds for our City and what we must plan for in the very near term. We are not alone in these challenges; however, we must remember that the progress we have made over the past five years has been a direct result of this City’s dogged determination to work together, with resolve and collective passion for the well-being and viability of our community. Through ongoing collaboration and problem-solving, we will find solutions to the challenges before us, and we are confident that these decisions will allow Oakland to emerge stronger than ever. We look forward to formally presenting this Proposed Budget to the City Council on April 30, 2013. Respectfully submitted, Jean Quan Deanna J. Santana Mayor City Administrator Attachment: Budget Highlights