CITY OF OAKLAND
STAFF REPORT
TO: Members of the City Council
FROM: Office of the Mayor
DATE: July 1, 2026
RE: Resolution Confirming the Mayor's Appointment of Elizabeth (“Betsy”) Lake as Interim City Administrator
SUMMARY
This report requests City Council confirmation of the Mayor's appointment of Elizabeth (Betsy) Lake as Interim City Administrator for a period commencing July 15, 2026 and ending January 15, 2027, or upon confirmation of a permanent City Administrator, or upon earlier termination of the appointment by the Mayor, whichever occurs first.
BACKGROUND
The former City Administrator has been placed on administrative leave, which expires on July 15, 2026. To ensure uninterrupted administrative authority and continuity of City operations — including during the City's upcoming Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs) issuance — the Mayor is appointing an Interim City Administrator pursuant to Oakland City Charter Article III, Section 305(e).
Betsy Lake currently serves the City of Oakland as an Assistant City Administrator and has been acting as City Administrator on a temporary basis. Her deep familiarity with City operations, existing relationships with City staff and departments, and demonstrated leadership make her uniquely well-positioned to serve in this interim capacity without disruption to ongoing City business.
QUALIFICATIONS
Betsy Lake brings deep public-sector leadership experience and a track record of driving results across complex municipal operations.
Since 2021, Betsy has served as Oakland’s Assistant City Administrator, where she helped coordinate citywide priorities, strengthen cross-department execution, and support high-performing teams focused on delivering reliable services to Oaklanders.
Previously, Betsy served as Deputy City Administrator from May 2018 through May 2021, leading public private partner negotiations.
Betsy is also a graduate of Stanford Law School and practiced law for over 20 years.
She combines a strong private practice legal background with public services experience. Betsy’s leadership will help align resources to community needs, support staff, and deliver responsive, and equitable services.
COMPENSATION
Betsy Lake's compensation as Interim City Administrator shall be set at $33,735.28 per month. Terms regarding any severance and/or notice requirements for resignation, if applicable, will be set forth in an employment agreement authorized by this resolution and executed by the Mayor. Funding will be drawn from the City Administrator position budget.
TIMING AND TAX AND REVENUE ANTICIPATION CONTINUITY NOTES Confirming Betsy Lake’s appointment at the July 7, 2026 City Council meeting is recommended to ensure continuity of administrative authority before the expiration of Mr. Johnson's administrative leave on July 15, 2026. The Council is also expected to consider at its July 7 meeting a related resolution authorizing the City Administrator and Finance Director to execute documents necessary to complete the City's TRANs financing. Confirming the Interim City Administrator appointment at the same meeting will ensure there is no uncertainty regarding execution authority during this critical financing process.
PERMANENT CITY ADMINISTRATOR RECRUITMENT
In parallel with this interim appointment, the Mayor's office is actively engaging with executive search firms to assist in the recruitment and hiring of a permanent City Administrator. The Mayor is committed to conducting a thorough and competitive search to identify the best candidate to lead the City of Oakland's administrative operations on a permanent basis. Additional information regarding the search process and anticipated timeline will be provided to the Council as that process advances.
RECOMMENDATION
The Mayor’s office recommends that the City Council adopt the attached resolution confirming the Mayor's appointment of Betsy Lake as Interim City Administrator for the period of July 15, 2026 through January 15, 2027 and authorizing the Mayor to execute an employment agreement with Betsy as Interim City Administrator on behalf of the City.