CHARTER REFORM
MODERNIZATION
City of Oakland Charter
The Charter is the framework for how Oakland’s city government operates. It lays out who holds power, how those officials operate and are held accountable, what rules govern city employees, and how essential municipal functions—budgeting, licensing, infrastructure, and elections—are all carried out. While many smaller cities and towns are general law cities bound by state law, most large cities in the state of California have elected to adopt their own charters in order to have local control over how their city is governed.
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About the Working Group
Addressing a key component of Mayor Barbara Lee’s 100-day Plan, the Mayor has convened a working group in partnership with Council President Jenkins to review and provide recommendations for reforming Oakland’s Charter – specifically to better define the role of elected officials, address responsible city financial planning, and improve government accountability and transparency. Mayor Lee has engaged the League of Women Voters of Oakland and San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR) to co-facilitate the working group, with the objectives of:
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Educating the community about what the City Charter is and why it is important
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Gathering input on perceived issues with the Charter from a broad spectrum of community, business, labor, and government reform experts
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Identifying a set of options that will be aggregated into a report for the Mayor and Council President Jenkins to consider that addresses the perceived issues with the Charter
The Working Group will provide recommendations to the Mayor and City Council by January. Any amendments to the charter must be approved by Oakland voters.
Timeline
August - Kick-off meeting of the working group
September - Surveys published to collect community input
October-November - Info sessions hosted throughout Oakland
December - Draft findings and recommendations presented to Mayor and Council President
January - Report published and shared publicly
Beyond January 2026 - City Council to move any potential ballot measures through the legislative process
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Members of the Working Group
Besides the the League of Women Voter’s Oakland and SPUR, the following members have been selected for the Mayor’s Charter Working Group:
Fred Blackwell, CEO San Francisco Foundation. An Oakland native, Mr. Blackwell’s extensive government experience includes previously serving as Interim City Administrator and Assistant City Manager for the City of Oakland, and as Executive Director of the Redevelopment Agency and Director of the Mayor’s Office of Community Development in San Francisco.
Hon. Barbara J. Parker, former Oakland City Attorney. A graduate of Harvard Law School and resident of Haddon Hill, Ms. Parker was Oakland’s City Attorney from 2011 to 2024, advising the City Council extensively on matters pertaining to good governance. A practicing attorney for more than 40 years in the private and public sectors, she also served previously as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Corey Cook, Vice President and CEO for Cal Poly (Solano). A former Saint Mary’s College professor, Mr. Cook has taught classes on environmental politics and policy, urban politics and policy, data analysis and visualization with policy research expertise on electoral reform, alternative voting systems, political geography, and political representation.
Ben Rosenfield, Public Finance Expert. Mr. Rosenfield has 25 years of experience in local government, including 16 years as San Francisco’s City Controller where he managed the City’s $14 billion budget through some of its most challenging periods including the Great Recession, the COVID-19 pandemic, and multiple leadership transitions.
Zach Goldman, Policy and Labor Leader. Mr. Goldman is an Oakland resident, policy advocate and labor leader with two decades of experience working in local government, community and labor advocacy. He currently serves as a staff director of SEIU Local 1021 an organization representing 60,000 public sector and nonprofit workers many of whom provide direct services to Oaklanders.
Ahmed Ali Bob, Board Chair, Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Bob has dedicated his career to reducing barriers to opportunity for underserved communities through work in local government, the nonprofit sector, and the tech industry. At Block, Inc., he directs efforts to increase economic empowerment and expanding opportunities for vulnerable populations.
Mark Morodomi, former Counsel, Oakland Public Ethics Commission. Mr. Morodami, former Supervising Deputy City Attorney at the Oakland City Attorney's Office, served as counsel to the Oakland Public Ethics Commission, the Oakland City Auditor, the San Francisco Ethics Commission, and as Chief of Enforcement for California’s Fair Political Practices Commission.
Richard Fuentes, San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), Executive Office of Budget and Performance. At BART, Richard leads BART’s Federal and State Grants Advocacy efforts. He also serves on the Executive Board of AFSCME Local 3993 and is a small business owner in Oakland. In the past, he worked for former Oakland Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente.
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How to Get Involved
The working group will be announcing opportunities to learn more about the City’s charter, and collecting input from residents, city staff and businesses and non-profit organizations that work with the city. If you are interested in volunteering to support outreach and engagement, sign up here.