A year from now, Oakland voters may have the chance to overhaul how their city government is run.

An advisory group established by Mayor Barbara Lee this summer is working on a potential ballot measure that would reform the city charter, changing the roles of the mayor, city manager, and councilmembers in an attempt to better clarify who’s responsible for what.

Lee’s working group is holding a number of community meetings throughout Oakland this fall to share what’s being considered and get input from the public. 

You can RSVP to any of the following meetings online, though organizers note that the details could change and more meetings will be added.

Wednesday, Oct. 29, 5:30 p.m., at St. Paul’s Episcopal School (with Lee and Councilmember Zac Unger)

Wednesday, Nov. 5, 6 p.m., at St. Mary’s Center (with Councilmember Carroll Fife)

Wednesday, Nov. 12, 6 p.m., location to be announced (with Councilmember Charlene Wang and Chinese interpretation)

Saturday, Nov. 15, 10 a.m., location to be announced (with Councilmember Ken Houston)

Thursday, Nov. 20, 6 p.m., location to be announced (with Councilmember Noel Gallo)

Monday, Dec. 1, 7 p.m., location to be announced (with Councilmember Janani Ramachandran)

Wednesday, Dec. 3, 6 p.m., location to be announced (with Council President Kevin Jenkins)

Monday, Dec. 8, 6 p.m., location to be announced (with Jenkins and Houston)

“Oftentimes it’s not clear where the buck stops” in Oakland’s government, said Lee at the first such meeting Monday night. “I know what that costs us in time, trust, and confidence.” 

Since 1999, Oakland has operated under an unusual hybrid form of government. The elected mayor hires and supervises a city administrator and proposes the city budget. But that city administration has significant day-to-day responsibilities too, and the City Council also has considerable power, passing policy and getting the final say on the budget. That year, Oakland also shifted from an appointed city attorney who was under the council’s control to one who is more independent because they’re elected by voters.

“Right now, too many residents see a government where accountability feels a little blurred,” said Councilmember Rowena Brown, who co-hosted Monday’s meeting. “Our community is sometimes left wondering who exactly is in charge.”

At the meeting, facilitators from the League of Women Voters Oakland and SPUR presented two possible directions for reforming the city charter. Under one option, Oakland could adopt a “strong mayor” form of governance, giving the mayor more power, including the option to veto the city budget. 

Under another, Oakland could become a “council-manager” city — similar to what it was in the past — where the mayor is a voting member of the City Council, which collectively hires a city manager to lead the administration.

At the community meetings, participants break out into groups to discuss the benefits and drawbacks of each model and share their perspectives with the organizers.

Lee said she hasn’t personally weighed in on the direction she’d like to see Oakland’s charter go in, because she’s “still learning” about the options. But she said charter reform has long been a priority of hers since she’s seen the confusion caused by the current system.

In the mayor’s office, “we do a lot of casework, because residents don’t know who to call for what,” she said.

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