From streets getting paved to firefighters getting paid, countless aspects of city life, big and small, can be traced back to the City Council’s votes.
Each year, we review records and crunch numbers to find out how Oakland’s eight councilmembers are doing on this central part of their jobs.
Last time, we reviewed each councilmember’s performance by analyzing their voting records between September 2023 and July 2024. We focused on this period because the council goes into recess during August, creating a natural bookend to the legislative session.
This year, we looked at their voting records for the calendar year of 2025.
There were 30 full City Council meetings last year. We identified 138 opportunities where councilmembers could vote. These votes included routine things like approving the minutes for previous meetings, receiving informational reports from staff, and approving consent calendars. Other votes approved new laws, like changes to campaign finance rules, and greenlit contracts for goods and services, like surveillance cameras. And in June, the council voted to pass the city’s $4.4 billion budget.
Each councilmember had the opportunity to participate in these 138 votes. Councilmembers can be excused from a meeting or a vote if they have a scheduling conflict, which is logged in the meeting minutes as an “excused” absence. If a councilmember doesn’t give notice before missing a vote, they are listed as “absent.” The council president is able to remove a councilmember from a committee if they’re late or miss a meeting three times. That didn’t happen this year.
Here’s some of what we found.
Charlene Wang and Rowena Brown had perfect voting records for full council meetings — neither of them missed any meetings or votes. In general, the newest members of the City Council had the best voting records.
Carroll Fife had the worst record for full City Council meetings. She missed 27 votes, about 19% of the total votes.
Noel Gallo sponsored or co-sponsored the most legislation of any councilmember last year, with 30 bills bearing his name. Most of these sponsored bills were for appointments to commissions or boards. Fife sponsored the next largest number, 27 bills, including more substantive items.
Councilmembers also sit on committees. The committees:
Finance and Management
Rules and Legislation
Public Safety
Public Works and Transportation
Life Enrichment
Community and Economic Development
Committees get first pass on most policies and reports, and their members get to decide whether an item advances to full council for approval or gets held back for revisions or passed to another committee.
There were 114 committee meetings last year, with 519 additional voting opportunities. However, no councilmember has 519 opportunities to vote because they are each assigned to different committees, with some considering more legislation than others. Also, one councilmember, Charlene Wang, was elected in April to fill a vacancy in the District 2 seat. We did not tally votes for Rebecca Kaplan, an outgoing councilmember who served as a temporary custodian of District 2 for the first half of 2025. Kevin Jenkins served as interim mayor for several months in 2025, taking him away from council business.
Zac Unger, District 1
Councilmember Zac Unger had a near-perfect voting record last year. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
Unger, who considers himself “pathologically punctual,” reportedly won an award in third grade for perfect attendance.
“I’m still trying to live up to that,” he said.
In 2025, Unger did meet his childhood standard — almost. He missed one council meeting in May where there was a single vote around recommendations for the city budget. Unger was on the council’s budget team and was present for the official vote on the budget in June. He also missed one council vote on a ceremonial item at the beginning of another May meeting, which was excused.
He had a perfect record at meetings for the four committees he sat on at various points in the year.
“I just think that showing up is respectful to our colleagues, to citizens, to the process — that’s our job,” he said.
Unger sponsored or co-sponsored 16 pieces of legislation last year, among the lowest on the council.
He said he prefers to “work on substantive things,” rather than going for a larger quantity of symbolic sponsorships. Among the legislation he authored or coauthored in 2025 were two significant items that will appear on voters’ ballots this June. One measure would provide tax breaks to small businesses. Another deals with police and firefighter retirement accounts.
Unger noted that working on the budget team was a significant lift that began just weeks after he took office. The budget he and his colleagues passed in June closed a big deficit and avoided layoffs.
Charlene Wang, District 2
Councilmember Charlene Wang served just half of the year, but didn’t miss any votes once in office. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
Wang was sworn into office in May after a special election, so she didn’t get to participate in every council meeting in 2025. For the full City Council meetings after she was sworn in, Wang had a perfect voting record. She also didn’t miss any votes at her four committee meetings.
“It’s our job, it’s a basic requirement,” Wang said.
The council’s deliberations about the controversial company Flock Safety led to some of the most challenging votes Wang registered last year. As head of the Public Safety Committee, Wang presided over a meeting in November that lasted several hours where scores of community members argued that the city shouldn’t be doing business with Flock, citing privacy and civil liberty concerns. Wang voted to approve Flock’s contract to provide surveillance cameras and the full council followed suit weeks later.
“It was a vote that we had to make under not-ideal circumstances,” Wang said. She made several amendments to the legislation, including imposing stiff fines on Flock if it abuses the city’s data sharing rules.
Wang sponsored or co-sponsored 15 pieces of legislation last year that were approved by the City Council.
She introduced a resolution urging BART to study the feasibility of creating a station in the San Antonio neighborhood. She had the city receive a report from amateur illegal dumping crusader Andy Wang (no relation to the councilmember), and another from OPD about its use of license plate readers after troubling reports surfaced showing federal agents may have been able to access the city’s data.
Wang also introduced a proposal last year to make parking illegal after 10 p.m. on the Lakeshore Avenue cul-de-sac, which is in her district. Wang just held a town hall in the neighborhood and said it seems like the change was effective.
“I know that made a drastic difference in the violence that was being experienced in that area,” Wang said.
Carroll Fife, District 3
Councilmember Carroll Fife participated in the least votes in 2025. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
Fife missed more votes than any of her colleagues in 2025: 78. Sixty-eight of these were excused.
In some cases, she missed full meetings and all the votes that happened during them; in others, she was present for part of a meeting, missing some individual votes. Fife missed five full council meetings and parts of eight other council meetings. She also missed seven full committee meetings and seven partial committee meetings.
Fife said some of these absences occurred during special meetings that were held at the same time as pre-scheduled travel or official obligations, including meetings of the Association of Bay Area Governments board and the Alameda County Transportation Commission. Fife and a couple of other councilmembers serve as appointed members of these regional governing boards.
Comparing missed vote counts among councilmembers might be “equal, but it’s not equitable,” Fife told us, noting that each councilmember has a different number of activities and obligations in their district away from the dais.
“District 3 is different than some other places,” Fife said. “I’m the most prolific and impacted councilmember in Oakland right now, legislatively and programmatically.”
Fife is correct about her prolific legislative record. She sponsored or co-sponsored 27 pieces of legislation in 2025, more than anyone else aside from Councilmember Noel Gallo, who was council president for half of the year.
Several of these were requests for reports from staff on topics like a new homeless shelter the city opened. Two of the most noteworthy items included a budget amendment to restore the city’s cultural affairs manager and a proposal to pursue negotiations with Costco for a store on the old Oakland Army Base.
However, Fife said her legislative record is not the most important part of her work as a councilmember. She’s prouder of her neighborhood connections and advocacy.
“Organizing in community is the most effective thing,” Fife said. “Legislation is almost irrelevant now.”
Janani Ramachandran, District 4
Councilmember Janani Ramachandran was in the middle of the pack for attendance and sponsorship in 2025. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
Ramachandran had a mostly great voting record for full council meetings. Between January and December, she was excused from five votes.
She missed a vote in July in which the council agreed to withdraw a proposed bill expressing support for a state law that would have commissioned a study to explore alternatives to using PG&E as a utility. PG&E lobbied against the resolution, and five councilmembers voted to table the bill.
Her record was less stellar for committee meetings. Ramachandran was excused from the May 13 Finance meeting. She also missed three Community and Economic Development meetings and three Rules meetings.
All told, Ramachandran was excused from 24 votes and absent for four. Ramachandran did not respond to interview requests.
Last year, Ramachandran sponsored or co-sponsored 22 pieces of legislation. Over the summer, she co-sponsored a series of amendments to the proposed budget for fiscal years 2025-2027, which she introduced with councilmembers Unger and Kaplan. These amendments kept all 25 fire stations open. She also co-sponsored legislation that granted a company the right to install billboards around Oakland in exchange for millions of dollars to the city.
Ramachandran co-sponsored legislation that changed some of Oakland’s campaign finance rules, allowing officeholders to raise more money. She also supported legislation to change the City Council’s rules of procedure.
Additionally, the District 4 councilmember coauthored a proposed ballot measure that, if approved by voters in June, will provide tax breaks for certain businesses. And she endorsed a resolution that authorized City Administrator Jestin Johnson to give a portion of Oakland’s hotel tax revenue to the Roots and Soul soccer teams to help attract a World Cup team to the region. Earlier this year, the Australian men’s team announced they will use the former Raiders training facility in Alameda, which Oakland sold last year to a company that has leased it to the Roots and Soul.
Noel Gallo, District 5
Councilmember Noel Gallo spent half of the year as council president. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
Gallo had two different jobs last year. He served as the temporary council president while Kevin Jenkins filled in as mayor, returning to his regular council seat after Lee was elected.
As president, the person responsible for facilitating and scheduling meetings, Gallo did not miss any full council sessions. But between May and December, Gallo missed one full council meeting and parts of four other meetings. He also missed four committee meetings and parts of two other committee meetings throughout the year.
Overall, Gallo missed 12 council votes and 22 committee votes.
“If I miss a vote, it’s for a reason,” Gallo said. “I don’t just get up and leave.” He missed some committee meetings to pick up his daughter from school, he said, and acknowledged that he might skip votes for urgent issues in his district.
“If I have an emergency and there’s a meeting that’s happening, I’m going to the emergency. I’m here to represent the community that got me where I am today,” he said, noting during our phone interview that he was out in the neighborhood cleaning it up.
Gallo sponsored or co-sponsored the most legislation — 30 items. Many were appointments to commissions and boards that he had to make as council president. Another was a request to city staff for a report on Oakland’s sanctuary city ordinance; this year, he proposed legislation that reaffirmed rules prohibiting city workers from taking actions to help enforce federal immigration laws. Gallo’s name was also on two proposed relocation agreements with billboard companies, and the legislation allocating tax money to Oakland’s professional soccer teams for a training facility.
But unlike some of his colleagues, Gallo doesn’t consider legislating his primary role as a councilmember.
“Establishing an agenda that makes a difference in the city is important,” he said. “But I have individuals who just got on council who don’t understand — they can’t just get on there and talk. I don’t need any more laws and rules; they’re there, and we need to enforce them.”
Kevin Jenkins, District 6
Council President Kevin Jenkins had a strong voting record after returning to his council seat in May. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
Like Gallo, Jenkins had an unusual year. Between January and May, Jenkins served as Oakland’s interim mayor. The mayor does not participate in council meetings, aside from breaking ties, which is rare, so Jenkins did not vote on any legislation between January and May.
After Jenkins returned to his job as council president on May 20, he only missed one full council meeting, on Nov. 4. For Rules, his single committee assignment last year, Jenkins only missed one meeting, on Nov. 6. In total, Jenkins was excused from six votes at full council meetings and four votes at Rules.
Jenkins did not respond to interview requests.
Jenkins sponsored or co-sponsored 26 pieces of legislation that appeared on council agendas last year. Some of these items were when he was interim mayor. He also introduced the proposed budget for the city after Barbara Lee was elected but had not yet been sworn in. That budget was approved in June.
As council president, he sponsored or co-sponsored 15 legislative proposals.
When he returned to his council seat in May, Jenkins backed legislation that changed Oakland’s campaign finance rules to allow elected officials to raise more money through their officeholder accounts, among other things. He also championed legislation that changed the City Council’s rules of procedure by having meetings start with discussions about the most important legislation.
Jenkins also sponsored a resolution honoring John Beam, the football coach at Laney College, who was shot and killed last November.
Ken Houston, District 7
Councilmember Ken Houston intentionally skipped a vote last year, as a protest. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
During Houston’s first year on council, he missed one full council meeting and parts of five others. While he wasn’t absent from any complete committee meetings, he missed one or more votes at 13 of those sessions.
In total, Houston missed 14 council votes and 16 committee votes.
The councilmember told The Oaklandside he missed these votes for various reasons — sometimes because he went to the restroom and sometimes because, he said, he was conferring with the city administrator.
Houston is the only councilmember who told us he skipped a vote intentionally, as a protest. At a Life Enrichment Committee meeting on July 22, councilmembers considered a request by the city administration to renew Oakland’s shelter crisis ordinance. That ordinance allows the city to open emergency shelters and run homelessness programs that would otherwise face restrictions.
Houston made a motion to table the item, expressing frustration over how much money Oakland spends on homelessness compared to the county and over the “last-minute” request by staff. When his motion failed, he walked out of the meeting. This caused the committee to lose quorum, so it wasn’t able to vote. A few months later, the council unanimously approved the ordinance.
“I did that on purpose — I know my rights,” said Houston.
In general, Houston said, he believes councilmembers should attend all meetings, unless there’s an emergency. Even when he was out of town taking care of his 89-year-old mother, he said he joined meetings virtually. “When I vote, I vote for things that will affect us in my district,” so it’s important to be there.
Houston sponsored or co-sponsored 14 pieces of legislation in 2025, the fewest of anyone on the council.
That number doesn’t tell the full story, he said. Houston said he’s made many “heavy lifts” behind the scenes, advocating for policies and perspectives even when his name isn’t on a piece of paper.
“I pushed the [police] pursuit policy with the governor. Flock cameras, that was me…I have the highest push of courage,” he said, taking credit for items supporting small businesses, ending a city lawsuit against Southwest Airlines in closed session, enabling police to tow abandoned cars in his district, and calling attention to disparities among Oakland contractors.
“Even if I wasn’t a co-writer of a policy, I spearheaded it,” said Houston.
There’s a major piece of legislation Houston did write — a proposal to overhaul Oakland’s encampment policy. Under this policy, the city would crack down on homeless camps, clearing more of them regardless of whether other shelter is available. But, to his increasing frustration, the councilmember has not been able to garner much support from his colleagues, who keep tabling it.
He was also behind legislation that amended details of the Coliseum sale, and was part of the successful proposal to increase campaign finance and officeholder contribution limits.
Rowena Brown, At-Large
Councilmember Rowena Brown missed one vote all year. Credit: Estefany Gonzalez for The Oaklandside
Brown notched an almost perfect voting record during her first year on council. She missed zero votes at full city council meetings. She was excused from a single vote at a Rules meeting on Oct. 16. She couldn’t recall why she missed the vote, which had to do with approving the council’s legislative calendar.
Brown was a participant in several contentious council meetings, including deliberations around the Flock surveillance contract, the appointment of members of the Police Commission, and the proposed encampment abatement policy. Brown said she navigated controversial decisions by following her values. One advantage she says serves her well is a thorough understanding of how every level of government works.
“In this moment, it’s really just focusing on the work and making sure I’m being collaborative,” Brown told The Oaklandside.
For example, Brown authored an ordinance last year to boost foot traffic and Oakland’s nightlife by creating economic activation zones around commercial corridors. Brown said she worked closely with several business improvement districts, educational institutions, and nonprofits to get this bill over the finish line. “That’s coalition building,” Brown said.
Brown sponsored or co-sponsored 23 pieces of legislation last year, including ceremonial items like a resolution celebrating Black History and Future Month, another supporting rainbow crosswalks in the Lakeshore LGBTQ Cultural District, and another naming a new bikeway after a child who was killed near Lake Merritt.
She also sponsored a bill that authorized the city administrator to accept and extend funding for a homelessness prevention pilot program. Brown, who chairs a committee that liaises with OUSD, also sponsored reports about safety and other issues at Oakland schools. And Brown endorsed a proposal to have the city extend grant funding for Centro Legal De La Raza.
How we analyzed voting records
To count votes, The Oaklandside sorted through hundreds of pages of meeting minutes from January 2025 through December 2025 that are available on the city’s legislative website. These records don’t say why councilmembers were absent for particular votes, so we also tried to interview every councilmember about why they missed certain votes. In some cases, we confirmed the counts from the minutes by watching videos of meetings.
As with previous stories, we focused on up-or-down votes for items listed on each meeting’s agenda. But counting votes is not as straightforward as it may look. Sometimes a single piece of legislation is broken into several different items and recorded as several different votes; in these cases, we counted all of this as one vote. Councilmembers also take one vote on the “consent calendar,” which is actually a batch of several items; we counted this as a single vote.
We excluded votes on some insignificant procedural items, such as opening and closing public hearings or taking roll. We also only reported on votes in open session meetings, so our story doesn’t cover absences in closed sessions, where councilmembers approve or reject legal settlements.
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