Posted on 11/26/2024 8:58:50 PM PST by SeekAndFind
I've written recently about the serious budget problems with San Francisco's schools and its public transit system. But things appear to be even worse in nearby Oakland. Last week the city accidentally published a budget report on its website which said the city was in danger of insolvency unless serious cuts were made immediately.
One report, published early Friday morning in connection with a City Council agenda, warned Oakland must take immediate action to “maintain the solvency of the General Purpose Fund and avoid the Chapter 9 process.”
The report, which had the signatures of the city’s top officials on it, also warned that “Fecklessness and failure to take dramatic and immediate steps to reduce expenditures will almost certainly result in insolvency.”
Hours later, that report was pulled down and a similar report with the same numbers but less dire language was uploaded to replace it.
Someone uploaded this document to the city’s legislative website early on Friday. Later in the day, someone swapped it out for a different report that excluded references to insolvency and bankruptcy.
No matter how you phrase it, Oakland is in trouble. The source of the problem is the spending on police which went up because of overtime necessitated by a big spike in crime over the past two years.
Almost all this overspending will be by the police and fire departments. Despite taking steps to reduce spending in departments, staff wrote that “reductions in the OPD and OFD budget are now unavoidable to effectively address the current year shortfall.” The report noted that avoiding cuts to public safety would require effectively eliminating 83% of non-police and non-fire expenses. Specific reductions to OPD and OFD have not yet been determined.
Not coincidentally, the spike in crime started right after Oakland voted to defund the police in 2021 but cutting $17 million from the budget. This year, crime is finally headed down compared to the peak last year but the budget crisis probably means the city will need to declare a fiscal emergency which could result in cutting the number of officers to a new low. The head of the police officers union has already warned that Oakland PD is approaching staffing levels that will be unable to handle 911 calls as they come in.
According to the Oakland Police Officers Association, there are two scenarios: one to cut the force down to 678 from 712 officers or all the way down to 628.
"I can't see a solution on how we can effectively handle crimes and respond to calls in the city," said Huy Nguyen, OPOA President.
Police unions always want more money but 628 officers does seem like a pretty lean force for a city of 436,000 with an ongoing crime problem. And it's not just police. City firefighters are also going to be cut.
The city has already taken steps to cut expenses, including a hiring pause for non-sworn positions and a freeze on two police academies.
Further efforts could include the closure of fire stations or a pause on the operations of fire engine crews. For now, all department heads are being asked to propose ways to close the budget deficit...
The police department is projected to overspend by $52 million, about 16% of its budget, while the fire department is projected to overspend by $34 million, or 21% of its budget. The overspending in both departments is a result of overtime, according to city staff.
The city had a plan for dealing with this crisis, which was to balance the budget using funds from the one-time sale of the Coliseum. However, for that to work the city needed the money before the end of the year and right now it looks like that's not going to happen.
Even if the plan did work, using the sale of a major resource to balance the budget is a terrible idea. What are you going to do next year when those one-time funds aren't available? It looks like we're about to find out.
Hire more democrats for city hall. /s
They better figure it out because their state is broke and trump isn’t going to save them
When a city goes bankrupt every elected official in city government should be forced to resign and not run for one term.
i’m guessing that the overtime crisis is because they can’t attract qualified cops and firefighters who know they won’t be supported by the administration of this shithole city ...
Plans to pay out Reparations are hardest hit...
So, they go under.
WHO would take them over, maybe the Chinese?
Have to remember that in addition to being a crap-hole it is also a PORT!
I’ll just suggest more than forty California cities on the same path, and half of them will be asking the state for help by the end of 2025. If you are a retired state/local employee...best be prepared for half of your pension to go away.
Oakland crime is out of control, so city spends money on recycling inspectors.
Peoples Republik of Kalifornia at its best!
Have your officials who sent you into bankruptcy make up the difference from their own pockets. They created. Otherwise, FO.
The constant stream of federal money to prop up blue states esp kali is coming to an end, and that has been the only thing propping kali.
All pensions 19,535,321 records found
While voters have been dazzled with "look, a squirrel," behind the scenes this has been going on for years and years.
Imagine my shock that a city run by corrupt Democrats has money problems.
They can balance the budget by leasing the city to China for a while.
The crime rate would go way down....a miracle.
“Not coincidentally, the spike in crime started right after Oakland voted to defund the police in 2021 but cutting $17 million from the budget. “
Hire English majors next time. Or run it through AI
China would allow the crime to go even higher because they don’t have to deal with it. Think of it as being like an outhouse. When the hole gets full, you move the outhouse then all you have is a hole full of shiite. Eventually, it becomes dirt. Businesses leave and the only thing left is the criminals. They prey on each other until they leave. Then comes the “gaytrification”.
It seems that the lib cities are doing everything possible to commit suicide.
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