Oakland Interim Mayor Proposes Budget Cuts, Maintains Police Staffing

Oakland Interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins has proposed a two-year budget focused on addressing the city’s significant deficit by making broad spending cuts while prioritizing public safety. The plan spares police and fire departments from further staffing cuts, instead funding six police academies and two fire academies over the next two years, and maintaining police staffing at 678 sworn officers annually. To balance the budget, over 400 city jobs will be eliminated, though most are vacant or frozen, resulting in relatively few actual layoffs. The budget also includes rotating closures of two fire stations and continues funding for violence prevention initiatives. Recent voter approval of Measure A, a sales tax increase, was credited with preventing deeper cuts to fire services. Jenkins also suggested a property tax measure that could generate additional revenue if approved by voters in 2026.