Mayor Barbara Lee’s First 100 Days of Action

Team Barbara Lee

 

When I took office 100 days ago, I made a commitment to you: to tackle Oakland's biggest challenges with urgency, transparency, and measurable results. Today, I'm proud to share how we've transformed that promise into real progress on the issues that matter most to your daily lives and your family's future.
 
Working hand-in-hand with our dedicated city staff, committed community partners, and the thousands of residents who actively shaped our priorities, we've built momentum across public safety, homelessness solutions, economic revitalization, and accountable governance. Here's how we've delivered on our shared vision for Oakland.

 

Checkmark Increased Public Safety


Priority: Bring together Police Department leadership and representatives from all business corridors to coordinate and improve public safety strategies.

What We Accomplished

  • United 100+ business leaders in powerful safety coalition
  • Funded five police academies and authorized 678 officers toward 700-officer goal
  • Funded the expansion of Oakland’s Community Safety Ambassador program
  • Revived sideshow enforcement patrols
  • Forged major employer partnerships for citywide safety
  • Connected merchants with Business Improvement District advisors to activate “Block Captain” model including Police and community ambassadors
  • Developing personalized security plans for hospital campuses in partnership with Oakland Police Department
01Safety

What's Coming

  • Increasing nighttime and weekend Police and Community Safety Ambassador presence downtown
  • Training community ambassadors as block captains across Oakland’s business corridors
  • Expanding “Clean and Safe” model citywide in partnership with the Business Improvement Districts, OPD, businesses, and community
  • Building seven-city regional partnership to prevent gun and gang violence
  • Developing citywide task force on immigrant community support and protections

 

CheckmarkAdded Homelessness Resources

Priority: Focus on securing Oakland’s fair share of money from Alameda County to address our homeless crisis

What We Accomplished

  • Established Office of Homelessness Solutions to prevent homelessness, connect people to services, and help people find permanent housing
  • Worked with community and Board of Supervisors to ensure 80% of Alameda County’s Measure W funds are dedicated to reducing homelessness
  • Secured state Homeless Housing Assistance and Prevention funding for affordable housing projects
  • Joined Alameda County Conference of Mayors homelessness working group
  • Partnered with Governor’s Office, California Highway Patrol, Caltrans, Alameda County, and city leaders for progress on homelessness solutions and trash removal
02Homelessness

What's Coming

  • Hiring Office of Homelessness Solutions leadership team
  • Leveraging all available resources for proven solutions for homelessness and housing
  • Ensuring the Home Together 2030 Plan, which will guide countywide resources for homelessness, is deeply informed by what works for Oaklanders
  • Strengthening partnerships across County and City homelessness and housing teams

 

CheckmarkPrioritized Economic Development

Priority: Convene the CEOs of the 10 largest Oakland employers to discuss public-private initiatives that can improve Oakland's economy and increase public safety.

What We Accomplished

  • Rallied Oakland’s largest employers for bold investment commitments in Oakland’s future
  • Delivered $3 million Business Incentive Program and funded Economic Activation Zones in partnership with Council
  • Fast-tracked 22 bright new streetlights around Fox Theatre
  • Reinstated Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program for 200+ Oakland youth
  • Employed 75 justice-involved residents to remove 30 tons of trash
  • Reinstated funding for Cultural Affairs Division Manager in partnership with Council
  • Boosted graffiti cleanup resources for business corridors in partnership with Council
  • Partnered with Jack London Square merchants for business growth
  • Initiated Sister Cities Program revival and international trade connections
  • Partnered on green business incubator serving 25 small business owner
03Economic Development

 

What's Coming

  • Creating Arts and Entertainment Districts to support Oakland businesses
  • Implementing comprehensive clean and safe streets with coordinated enforcement teams
  • Uplifting business districts through streamlining permits, filling vacant storefronts, and cultural activations
  • Expanding Mayor’s Summer Youth Employment Program to serve 500 participants in 2026
  • Launching narrative campaign showcasing Oakland as a world-class destination city
  • Launching Green Business Accelerator, supporting 25 underinvested entrepreneurs in sustainability and green jobs

 

CheckmarkReduced Fire Risk

Priority: Deploy vegetation management crews to clear hazards in the city’s high fire danger zones

What We Accomplished

  • Supported Oakland Fire Department to clear brush from 1,300+ high-risk acres
  • Partnered with Council to invest $10.3 million to keep all fire stations open
  • Secured $1.5 million CAL FIRE grant and expanded coverage to East Oakland hills
  • Appointed first Wildfire Prevention Commission members
04ReduceFireRisk

What's Coming

  • Coordinating fire prevention efforts with all city departments and recruit more community volunteers to help with fire prevention and land stewardship

 

CheckmarkLed Good Government, Charter Modernization

Priority: Appoint a taskforce of League of Women Voters, ethics, and good government experts to modernize Oakland’s Charter and strengthen government accountability.

What We Accomplished

  • Assembled working group to provide Charter reform, specifically for recommendations for accountability and transparency, co-chaired by the League of Women Voters of Oakland and San Francisco Bay Area Planning and Urban Research Association
05GoodGovernment

 

What's Coming

  • Engaging the public and presenting Charter reform recommendations by January 2026, ahead of anticipated November 2026 ballot measure

 

CheckmarkRemoved Roadblocks to Support Small Businesses

Priority: Direct permitting reform to streamline city processes and reduce bureaucracy for small businesses.

What We Accomplished

  • Introduced same day permits for six permit types
  • Slashed digital building permit wait time from 7 to 1 day
  • Streamlined “by right” permit approvals for Downtown, Broadway Valdez, and Lake Merritt, as well as for residential affordable housing in all districts
  • Increased Permit Center hours to 8:30am-4:00pm daily
  • Partnered with Council to invest $3 million for permit system upgrades in Accela
06Permitting

What's Coming

  • Continuing to make more permits available same-day and expand one-stop digital options
  • Creating simple permit process guides to help residents navigate city services
  • Fast-tracking tenant improvements to attract retail businesses and fill storefronts
  • Continuing to streamline “by right” permit approvals

 

CheckmarkGenerated Public Private Partnerships

Priority: Generate entrepreneurial and philanthropic investment in Oakland by convening local, state, and national civic leaders

What We Accomplished

  • Assembled 30+ philanthropic leaders to launch the One Oakland Fund at the East Bay Community Foundation
  • Generated $650K of initial philanthropic investment for high priority programs and innovation in partnership with Akonadi Foundation, East Bay Community Foundation, Kapor Foundation, the San Francisco Foundation, and The Asian American Foundation
  • Awarded $12.4 million justice-involved workforce grant for parolees to clean and beautify Oakland
  • Worked with Kapor Foundation to secure $2.14M for building Oakland’s tech sector
  • Funded additional staff to create centralized grants management division for City departments in partnership with City Council
  • Hired Mayor’s Office Director of Innovation
  • Secured Mayor Lee’s appointment to Metropolitan Transportation Commission for Oakland representation
07PPP

What's Coming

  • Working with businesses and community groups to bring more resources to Oakland. Focusing on safety, small businesses, economic growth and sustainability, neighborhood beautification, homelessness solutions, and supporting immigrants

 

CheckmarkAddressed Trash and Illegal Dumping

Priority: Staff up trash reductions crews and partner with District Attorney’s Office to aggressively prosecute illegal dumping.

What We Accomplished

  • Launched “Keep The Town Clean” to address illegal dumping and provide workforce development
  • Removed 30 tons of waste around schools
  • Cleared trash from 30 miles of Oakland streets
  • Added $1 million+ for illegal dumping enforcement technology and officers
  • Partnered with District Attorney’s Office and OPD to develop illegal dumping strategy
  • Secured agreement for Caltrans to reimburse the City for off-ramps cleanup
08BlightDumping

What's Coming

  • Creating Mayor’s Working Group for Clean and Safe Streets with multi-agency coordination
  • Increasing penalties for illegal dumping
  • Prioritizing business corridors for long-term beautification and economic revitalization efforts
  • Expanding Keep The Town Clean toolkits on an ongoing basis
  • Rolling out mass public education campaign

 

CheckmarkStabilized the Budget

Priority: Direct the City Council to pass a budget that prioritizes public safety and stabilizes the city’s finances. 

What We Accomplished

  • Worked with Council to pass balanced budget prioritizing public safety investments
  • Funded responsible path to 700 officers, Ceasefire, violence prevention, and academies
  • Funded Sideshow Prevention Detail and human trafficking enforcement in OPD
  • Kept all 25 fire stations operating and reversed brownouts
  • Created medium-term roadmap to fiscal health and balanced GPF without one-time revenues
09Budget

 

What's Coming

  • Rolling out long-term fiscal sustainability strategies

 

CheckmarkEnsured Accountability

Priority: Audit city contracts to ensure public funds are being spent effectively by contractors and non-profits.

What We Accomplished

  • Funded Public Ethics Commission investigator and auditor staff
  • Initiated planning for comprehensive forensic financial audit
  • Identified top 10% City contracts for thorough review
  • Hired Mayor's Office Director of Data and Technology Transformation to deliver accurate data, assess city technology, and ensure departmental accountability
10Accountability

What's Coming

  • Conducting comprehensive operational and technology audit

 

Our Results:

  • As of Aug 24, 2025 crime down 30% citywide
  • Millions of dollars secured for homelessness transformation
  • 1,300+ acres cleared of fire danger
  • 30 tons trash removed, 30 miles cleaned
  • 678 police officers authorized, 5 academies funded

Community Participation in Governing:

  • 1,500+ residents engaged across 15 sessions
  • Policy priorities directly correspond to community concerns identified:
  1. Comprehensive Public Safety - Residents want safety without over-policing, embracing community-based violence prevention
  2. Economic Survival - Small businesses need streamlined permitting, theft protection, and workforce development
  3. Infrastructure as Dignity - Clean streets, working lights, and pothole repairs as basic respect
  4. Housing and Homelessness with Equity - Anti-displacement strategies and dignity-centered solutions
  5. Sanctuary City Protection - Immigrant communities need proactive ICE non-cooperation assurance
  6. Youth Investment - Violence prevention through life coaches, case managers, and workforce programs
  7. Governance Transformation: Communities demanded engagement, accountability, coordinated services, and authentic partnership in decision-making.

collage3

Thank you for staying engaged over my first 100 days as mayor of this great city. Together, we are working to ensure that everyone has a say in Oakland’s future and that Oakland city government can deliver meaningful results. Onward Oakland!