Fiscal Year 2013-2015 Special Budget Meeting

CITY FACTS CITY GOVERNMENT The City of Oakland has a Mayor-Council form of government. The Mayor is elected at-large for a four-year term, and can be re-elected only once. The Mayor is not a member of the City Council; however, he or she has the right to vote as one if the Council members are evenly divided. The City Council is the legislative body of the City and is comprised of eight Council members. One Council member is elected “at large,” while the other seven Council members represent specific districts. All Council members are elected to serve four-year terms. Each year the Council members elect one member as President of the Council and one member to serve as Vice Mayor. The City Administrator is appointed by the Mayor and is subject to confirmation by the City Council. The City Administrator is responsible for the day-to-day administrative and fiscal operations of the City. OAKLAND’S ECONOMIC BASE Oakland has diversified its economic base significantly in the past few decades. The economy offers a healthy mix of trade, government, financial, medical, information technology, publishing and service-oriented occupations. Industries with the largest growth in jobs in the last two years are professional and business services, education and healthcare, government, leisure and hospitality, traditional and specialty food production, and construction. Oakland offers abundant resources to its businesses and residents: state-of-the-art transportation, a vibrant dining and entertainment scene, and utility facilities keep the City running smoothly. Several new office and mixed-use buildings, public facilities, hotels, convention facilities, park enhancements and outdoor art have created a cosmopolitan environment in the downtown area. Waterfront restaurants and shops at Jack London Square, as well as the burgeoning Old Oakland and Uptown districts provide lively nighttime attractions. The City’s neighborhood retail areas continue to grow, as evidenced by Oakland’s nine Business Improvement Districts. While manufacturing remains an important segment of the City’s economy, some industrial land has been converted to residential and work/live use. A variety of incentives are available to companies located in the City’s Enterprise, Foreign Trade, and Recycling Market Development Zones. The Economic Development staff links businesses with the many services available to them throughout the area and serves as an ombudsman for companies dealing with the City. Neighborhood Commercial Specialists work with merchants in each commercial district to promote the district, obtain loans, expedite permits and arrange for City services. Oakland plays a pivotal role in the East Bay Trade Area; it is a city of rich history, impressive growth and a promising future. Located within one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas, California’s eighth most populous city is the economic heart of the East Bay. Oakland has the infrastructure and economic base to support and attract a diverse mix of advanced industries and value-oriented retail. Downtown Oakland offers competitive office space, a fiber-optic infrastructure and the amenities for both traditional and emerging enterprises. The well-maintained freeways, the mass transit systems and the ferry service make getting to and from downtown Oakland a relatively quick and easy process—travel times to San Francisco, San Jose and other Bay Area cities are surprisingly short. The Oakland Metropolitan Area (Alameda and Contra-Costa counties) is one of the highest spending markets in the nation, with a mean household income of $95,495. In the City of Oakland itself, some 156,790 households earn, on average, $73,975 per year, resulting in over $3.0 billion in annual taxable sales. City departments take a proactive approach and use streamlined processes to best serve the needs of the business community. C - 2