On April 15, Oaklanders will vote on a proposed measure to raise the city’s sales tax from 10.25% to 10.75%, potentially generating an additional $29.98 million in net annual revenue for the city’s General Fund over 10 years. While Measure A is a regressive tax that will not solve Oakland’s structural deficit on its own, SPUR believes this additional revenue source will help prevent fiscal insolvency and protect against further reductions in public safety services.

Oakland city leaders must close a $129 million shortfall in this year’s budget and eliminate an additional $280 million deficit projected over the next two years. Now, policymakers, administrators, employee unions, and Oaklanders must work together to reduce spending and grow revenues. To support the process, SPUR provides a primer on the city’s budget-setting process, where its revenue comes from, and how that money is spent.

Oakland is at a pivotal moment as city leaders work to address a significant budget shortfall of $129 million this year, with an additional $280 million projected over the next two years. Solutions to the city’s structural deficit may come from examining how past budget priorities and decisions led to current challenges.

Earlier this year, SPUR published a report recommending that San Francisco define the purpose and role of its many commissions and reduce their overall number. The passage of Proposition E sets this work in motion. To ensure an outcome that better supports policymaking, SPUR proposes five steps to a data-driven, deliberative public process.

This election, the SPUR Voter Guide provided Bay Area voters with analysis and recommendations on 18 local and state measures. Many of our recommendations prevailed. Voters around the region chose to fund climate resilience, schools, public health facilities, violence reduction, and wildfire prevention, and they supported measures that aim to strengthen economic resilience, improve local governance, and prioritize walking and biking over cars.