Oakland group pushing to get new charter amendment on 2026 ballot
A group in Oakland is working to change the way the city government operates.
The Oakland Charter Reform Project is in the process of trying to get a charter amendment on the ballot in 2026. Steven Falk is one of the leaders of the project.
He's lived in Oakland throughout his adult life and plans to call the city home for the foreseeable future.
"This is my city," exclaimed Falk. "I love Oakland."
But he knows it's not perfect. He's worked for Oakland as a city manager, as well as five other cities over the past nearly 40 years.
"My experience was Oakland is more dysfunctional than the other cities I had worked for," Falk explained. "And I tried to figure out why. If it wasn't the people, what was it? I concluded it was the system. It's the organization chart. It's the way the city is organized that holds it back."
A charter is the constitution of the city, outlining how it functions.
In Oakland, the charter dictates that the mayor does not attend city council meetings, they have no voting power on the council, and they do not supervise department heads.
"That is not the case in 97% of California's cities, but Oakland is built differently and that needs to change," Falk said.
Newly elected Mayor Barbara Lee agrees. It's in her first 100-day plan.
She lists 10 things she wants to accomplish, number five says, "appoint a taskforce of League of Women Voters, ethics, and good government experts to modernize Oakland's Charter and strengthen government accountability."
Falk is ready to help with that.
"We're working with her and hope to have this task force up and running by mid-August in order to meet her self-imposed deadline," Falk said.
A charter amendment would need to be voted on during a general election.
The next one is one year away, in June of 2026. That means they need to have their ballot measure written for review by the city attorney by January, February at the latest.
Falk is out talking with Oaklanders about what they want to see.
"We're hearing that they want better government, in the most recent poll by the Oakland Chamber of Commerce, 75% of Oaklanders say they feel the city is on the wrong track," Falk said. "That number is too high; that has to change and we don't think it can change until the charter is changed."
So far, he's talked with hundreds of people. He said many want faster, more centralized decision-making and a council and mayor that have real authority over city staff.
Falk believes a new charter could be a game-changer for Oakland.
"Oakland has the arts, the culture, the history; it should be the center of the Bay Area," said Falk. "It should be the crown jewel of the Bay Area, but I think most people recognize that it's not. I'm passionate about helping Oakland reach its potential and be as good as it can be."
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