County's shifting power dynamics
Dispatches from Board of Supervisors, Port of Oakland, Oakland, and San Leandro
COUNTY NEWS
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
—BUDGET SZN EPILOGUE—“Congratulations, everyone. We passed a budget,” Alameda County Supervisor David Haubert said on Thursday after approving a $5.1 billion budget for the next fiscal year. That was the easy part.
—The collective heart rate of county officials has been noticeably elevated recently. Something is up.
—Perhaps, the budget process exposed a number of pressure points? Among them:
Bas’s memo calling for greater budgetary transparency.
Numerous cities clamoring for a share of the county’s Measure W sales tax funds for housing and homelessness programs.
Full-throated and detailed calls by the community for greater county investment in the unincorporated areas.
Reporters poking around the County Administrator’s office.
—Last Thursday, Haubert acknowledged the six-page memo penned by Supervisor Nikki Fortunato Bas, adding the board is “not as forward-looking as everyone would like.”
—However, Haubert added, “we can always get better,” and referred Bas’s suggestions to a budget workshop committee sometime in the fall.
—Bas’s memo called for greater transparency, more public engagement, and clearer fiscal reporting within the county’s budget process.
—Noting the dynamics of the board have changed—four of the five supervisors were elected in the past four years—Haubert said, “New ideas come into play. We should be taking all that input into account, and we will.”
—It’s no secret the landlord-supported majority of supervisors were wary of Bas’s candidacy last year for the open District 5 board seat vacated by Supervisor Keith Carson. Even Carson, a longtime county institutionalist, endorsed Bas’s opponent, the more moderate John Bauters.
—Among their concerns is Bas would seek to make an immediate imprint on the board. That fear appears to be bearing out, which is likely driving some of the passive aggressive behavior toward her by some supervisors, as of late.
—Bas began by unwittingly infringing on Supervisor Nate Miley’s turf earlier this year, forced the creation of a ad hoc committee to Trump-proof the county, which led to last week’s quite unobjectionable memo.
TRANSPORTATION
—BRIDGE TO BALLOT—California’s new budget includes a $750 million loan to help struggling Bay Area transit agencies like BART, ACTransit, Caltrain, and Muni stay afloat.
—With ridership still down and pandemic relief funds nearly gone, the loan is intended to bridge the gap until voters consider a regional tax measure next year.
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CITY NEWS
PORT OF OAKLAND
—THE PICKS ARE IN—Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee’s appointments to the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners are likely to be confirmed by the Oakland City Council on Tuesday. The City Council’s Rules Committee expressed no objections with any of the candidates.
—Lee is seeking to appoint two new commissioners—Derrick Muhammad, a former union leader at the port, and Alvina Wong, a community and environmental activist. Lee is also reappointing Barbara Leslie of the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce to another four-year term.
—“There’s a lot of opportunity right now in the green economy sector,” Wong said on Thursday, “in renewable energies, and also zero-emissions works that will prepare Oakland and the Port of Oakland for the climate disasters to come.”
—Muhammad, as part of the longshoremen’s union, fought vigorous against the plan to ship coal through the Port of Oakland. The union also strongly opposed the proposed ballpark at Howard Terminal.
—For her part, Wong was a leader of the group that successfully blocked momentum for the A’s proposed ballpark near Laney College.
—Economic growth in and around the airport, which is operated by the port, could be paramount among the full council’s concerns on Tuesday. Oakland Councilmember Kevin Jenkins asked for a commitment from the appointees to address rebuilding the Hegenberger corridor to a “world-class destination.”
OAKLAND
—RIDE OR DIE—Oakland Councilmember Ken Houston’s allegiance to Mayor Barbara Lee is absolutely clear.
—During the recent special mayor election, Houston shot a series of social media videos that lavished support on Lee and denigrated opponent Loren Taylor.
—It was no surprise that Houston fully backed Lee’s appointees to the Port of Oakland Commission on Thursday. However, the level of fealty to the mayor was noteworthy.
—“Everybody knows I’m 10 toes down for the mayor. Always have been,” Houston said last Thursday, referring to slang for someone possessing extreme loyalty to another.
—HOUSTON, WE OBJECT—Just because the Port of Oakland has “Oakland” in its name, it doesn’t mean an Oakland councilmember can have access to its closed session meetings.
—That’s what the rookie Oakland Councilmember Ken Houston apparently thought recently when he showed up for a Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners closed session meeting.
—THIN BLUE BUDGET—The Oakland Police Officers’ Association is not happy about the budget recently approved by Mayor Barbara Lee and the City Council.
—“The Council didn’t ‘find’ money—they gutted a police academy, eliminated sworn positions, and ignored the voter-approved Measure NN,” said Huy Nguyen, the police union’s president. “This isn’t budgeting—it’s abandoning the people of Oakland.”
—Measure NN, a parcel and parking tax approved by Oakland voters last year, requires the city to maintain at least 700 police officers. The Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget funds just 678 police officers.
SAN LEANDRO
—COUNCIL IN CRISIS—Last November, the San Leandro City Council took an unprecedented step in censuring not one, but two councilmembers for violating the city charter’s non-interference rules.
—An independent investigator found Councilmembers Fred Simon and Victor Aguilar, Jr. improperly interfering in the then-city manager’s duties, including the retention of its police chief.
—The investigation was initiated after allegations were made against Simon by former San Leandro City Manager Fran Robustelli, who left the city in May 2024. Robustelli told the investigator that Simon was “horrible toward women.”
—Now, a second independent investigation has been launched by the city that may include Simon, Aguilar, and possibly a third councilmember for unspecified allegations, according to two sources with knowledge of the inquiry.
—The investigation comes at a time when San Leandro officials are grappling with the possibility of federal indictments hanging over Councilmember Bryan Azevedo. The FBI is looking into allegations against Azevedo of bribery and lying to federal investigators.
—BRACING FOR IMPACT—San Leandro officials are well prepared for the possibility that Councilmember Bryan Azevedo could face serious federal charges in the next few months.
—According to a source, the city has been working with a crisis management consultant in advance of news breaking in the FBI’s public corruption investigation.
—The move is not surprising. There have been low-level indications for months that city officials have been quietly posturing for the possibility of bad press involving Azevedo coming the city’s way.
