Oakland
Budget
Process
FY 2023-2025
Oakland Budget Advisory Commission
City Council Presentation
November 14, 2023
Oakland Budget
Advisory Commission
• Residents serving three year terms.
Primarily responsible for offering
recommendations to City Council on the
biennial budget process and budget
content.
• Currently we have 7 members.
Accepting applications for new
members. We have 8 vacancies.
3 Oakland Consolidated Fiscal Policy
Oakland’s Consolidated Fiscal Policy requires the BAC to create a report addressing:
• The informational quality of the Proposed Budget;
• The City Administration's and City Council's attention to engaging the public and its impacts on the budget
process and product;
• The level of transparency and open dialogue in all
public meetings dedicated to the budget; and
• Opportunities for improving the process in future
years.
4 Community Input
The BAC surveyed Oaklanders before the budget process
started to understand the priorities of residents.
• The majority (54%) of those surveyed said they feel that the city is a good place to live; however, this is down five points compared to the last budget survey.
• Just under two-thirds (63%) of Oaklanders disapprove of the city’s job in providing services. This is a jump of 11 points compared to the last budget survey.
• Half of those who responded (50%) shared that their top priority is homelessness or housing for the city’s budget. 5 Commission
Process
• Ad Hoc Committee with four
commissioners. Two general
commission meetings,
included public comment. Adopted
by the Commission on August 13,
2023.
6 Overall Comments
• Racial equity analysis
• Budget information
• Budget clarifying process
• Five-year forecast to members of
BAC
7 Informational Quality
• Provide a complete picture of the
City’s budget. We recommend
broadening the information shared with
the public for a more comprehensive
financial picture.
• Present budget information in a consistent
form that allows comparing and
contrasting of budget figures and trends.
8 Engaging
Public
Impact,
Process, and
Product
• Adopt a budget schedule that prioritizes
early education and outreach on the
budget process and avoids excessive
compression late in the budget cycle.
• Share the city’s racial equity analysis
related to the budget at town halls.
• Ensure town halls are accessible to all
individuals by offering interpretation,
including American Sign Language (ASL)
interpreters, and translation of all
materials.
• Offer recordings of town halls for district
residents who cannot attend.
• Establish benchmarks related to the
consolidation of departments.
9 Transparency and Open Dialogue
• Attach all relevant reports regarding the City’s Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) demonstrating whether or not the City is complying with the contribution policy in the Budget Book.
• While Oakland Police Department (OPD) overtime spending now has a reporting process, corrective actions will need to be more rigorous. • The budget is an expression of the City’s collective priorities. We have an open process that encourages City residents to participate in the budget process to hear all voices and ensure full participation. Residents would be better served by being informed of City Council expenditure priorities along with revenue streams for each priority.
Improving
Process for the
Future
Continue to improve
community budget
engagement, including
offering accommodatio
ns for non-English
speaking and hearing-
impaired residents in all
districts.
11 Thank you