Oakland city workers rally against drastic budget cuts

OAKLAND, Calif. (KRON) -- On the steps of Oakland City Hall Monday, a group of city workers called on the mayor and City Council to avoid cutting city services. This comes as the city is grappling with a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall.

 “There’s no way our administration can say they want a safe and clean Oakland and then turn around and balance their budget on the backs of workers,” said 911 dispatcher Antoinette Blue.

“When they see percentage in the reduction of staff, we see people’s lives affected," said electrician Michael Patterson. "We see people walking out the door."

The City of Oakland is facing a projected budget shortfall of around $93 million.

The city was counting on the sale of the Oakland Coliseum site to fill that budget hole, but the deal has yet to go through. As a result, the city is considering making significant cuts to city services. The police department and fire department are by far Oakland’s largest expenses and the areas where cuts will most likely be made.

“Oakland deficit is the product of years of mismanagement," said Julian Ware, who opposes the budget cuts. “We are calling on our neighbors and leaders to call for a sustainable budget road map. A clear actionable plan to avoid devastating cuts.”

At Monday’s rally, these workers acknowledged that Oakland is facing a financial crunch and offered their ideas for turning things around.  They suggest, among other things, that the city reform spending, such as staying within budget when paying police overtime.  They want Oakland to increase staffing in city positions that generate revenue.  They want to see Oakland set up a more robust rainy-day fund for the next time there is a budget shortfall. Finally, they want to see the budget streamlined, including reducing the pay of Oakland’s top executives.

The Oakland City Council is set to receive an updated report on Oakland’s finances along with suggestions on how to balance the budget on Tuesday morning.