'With terrible choices ahead of us,' Oakland sets tone, appoints acting mayor, council leadership

Barbara Lee files intent to run in Oakland's special mayoral election

Oakland Councilmember Kevin Jenkins was appointed council president, but will serve as acting mayor through the spring.

☕️MORNING BUZZ

—The legislative year in the East Bay opened with a bang on Monday.

Oakland appointed Councilmember Kevin Jenkins to be the city’s second acting mayor since Dec. 17.

Barbara Lee officially filed on Monday to form a committee ahead of a run in the April 15 mayoral special election to replace recalled Mayor Sheng Thao.

Amid potential drastic budget cuts ahead of the Oakland City Council, inauguration day set a hopeful tone. But the reality of what comes before the body over the next few months was also evident.

“We have terrible choices ahead of us,” said new District 1 Councilmember Zac Unger. “This is an all hand on deck moment for Oakland.”

Meanwhile, Nikki Fortunato Bas will be sworn in as Alameda County supervisor for District 5 this morning.

—More inside:

• Alameda’s new city council faces a tough early decision tonight: Extend a deadline with the developer of the 589-unit Encinal Terminals waterfront project or allow its to wither on the vine along with a host of already approved local and state approvals? The developer says the project no longer pencils out.

• Censure is in the air again in Alameda County. This time at the AC Transit Board of Directors, where the possible censure of Board Director Sarah Syed for interfering in the duties of the general manager and staff is Wednesday’s agenda.

• State Sen. Aisha Wahab was named assistant majority leader, in addition to a number of high-profile committee seats. The entire list of committee appointments, along with chairpersonships in the Assembly are included in today’s newsletter.

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