by Natalie Orenstein May 23, 2025 (MissionLocal.org)
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This story is an excerpt from a previously published deep dive into the power — or lack thereof — of the Oakland mayor, and efforts to change what that looks like. Read the full story.
Barbara Lee was sworn in this week, in front of a lively and packed crowd eager to enter the next chapter of Oakland politics after a tumultuous year featuring a recall, an indictment, and a financial deficit.
The vast majority of voters were ready to welcome a new mayor. But it’s not always clear to the public what, exactly, that job entails. Oakland has an especially unusual governance structure, further confusing things. So as Lee enters office, it’s worth examining what work is on her plate, and what she can and can’t do to pursue much-needed change in the city.
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As the city’s top leader overseeing its administration, mayor of Oakland is a full-time, four-year gig (though Lee is entering mid-term for just two years, filling the remainder of the recalled Sheng Thao’s term).
The mayor’s powers are spelled out in Article III of the City Charter, and a few other places in the city’s founding document, essentially its constitution.
The mayor hires — and can fire — arguably the next two most powerful officials in Oakland: the city administrator and the police chief. They also select members of the public to fill some of the seats on the city’s many boards and commissions, which handle everything from landlord-tenant issues to cannabis regulation.
With copious help from the city administrator and other staff, mayors submit a budget proposal each year, although the City Council has the final say in how much the city will spend on what. Usually, the council tweaks the mayor’s plan, moving a few million here and there, altering staffing in some departments, and funding some road or building improvements instead of other capital projects. But the council can also make big changes to the budget, and if they do, the mayor has to live with it.
Mayors can propose legislation, too, although they rarely do, and they’re called in to break ties when the council is deadlocked. Each year, the mayor visits the council to deliver a state-of-the-city address, sharing their ideas for making the city work better.
Oakland’s mayor is also the public face of the city, in ways both ceremonial and consequential. An effective mayor will shape the local and national narrative about Oakland, draw investment to the city, help strike big deals with real estate developers and large companies, and generate political support for Oakland in Sacramento and Washington D.C.
Successful mayors schmooze with business, labor, and philanthropic leaders, represent Oakland in dealings with other cities, and show face at community events. The mayor speaks on the city’s behalf everywhere from ribbon-cutting ceremonies in local parks to private fundraisers to trade meetings in foreign countries.
Mayors do have significant authority to implement policies and programs so long as they’re not altering the council-approved budget. They can use their discretionary funds or raise private money for initiatives and events.
The position of Oakland mayor does not match up with most equivalent roles in other California or U.S. cities. Most large cities have what’s called a “strong mayor” form of government, where the top executive has more power — namely to veto the budget and other legislation, or to hire department heads and play a larger role in determining administrative business.
Most other California cities, however, have “council-manager” forms of government, where a city manager wields full authority over the administration and the mayor is more like a regular voting member of the City Council.
Political observers in Oakland largely agree that the city’s unusual “hybrid” mayor role creates confusion and an ineffective distribution of power. One group is working to propose a ballot measure for 2026 that would change the city charter to create a council-manager form of government, which Oakland actually had until the 1990s.
As for Lee, she’s expressed support for charter reform — but has stopped short of declaring whether the mayor should have more or less power.
Want to know more? Read our full article on the unique position of Oakland mayor.
NATALIE ORENSTEIN
Natalie Orenstein is a senior reporter covering City Hall, housing and homelessness for The Oaklandside. Her reporting on a flood of eviction cases following the end of the Alameda County pandemic moratorium won recognition from the Society of Professional Reporters NorCal in 2024. Natalie was previously on staff at Berkeleyside, where she covered education, including extensive, award-winning reporting on the legacy of school desegregation in Berkeley Unified. Natalie lives in Oakland, grew up in Berkeley, and has only left her beloved East Bay once, to attend Pomona College.More by Natalie Orenstein
