Oakland ballot measure could lift councillors’ pay to $228,000 a year

Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee is backing Measure EE, a November ballot proposal that would expand mayoral powers and could sharply increase city council members’ pay. The proposal comes as Oakland faces persistent problems, including homelessness, illegal dumping and a projected budget shortfall of up to $130 million a year, prompting debate over whether the changes are justified.

The city’s eight council members currently receive about $148,500 a year including benefits, equivalent to 26 cents per resident, already the highest rate among large California cities. Measure EE would remove a 5 per cent cap on annual pay rises and use comparisons with officials in other cities and counties; using San Francisco as a benchmark could bring Oakland council members’ pay to about $228,000, a 54 per cent increase. The article says the measure is also intended to make council roles full-time and give the mayor authority to hire or dismiss department heads and veto legislation.