Balancing Oakland's Budget
Closing the city’s structural deficit to move toward fiscal solvency and economic growth
Yes on Measure A: Sales Tax Increase to Help Oakland Close Its Budget Deficit
News / On April 15, Oaklanders will vote on a proposed measure to raise the city’s sales tax from 10.25% to 10.75%, potentially generating an additional $29.98 million in net annual revenue for the city’s General Fund over 10 years. While Measure A is a regressive tax that will not solve Oakland’s structural deficit on its own, SPUR believes this additional revenue source will help prevent fiscal insolvency and protect against further reductions in public safety services.
Success on the Street
Policy Brief / For years, California’s bureaucratic environmental review process held up transportation projects designed to reduce carbon emissions, including transit upgrades and bike lanes. Recent legislation changes created a temporary exemption for sustainable projects, which has allowed 92 climate-friendly projects to move forward. To keep this momentum going and meet state climate goals, California must make the exemption permanent. SPUR’s new brief makes the case for this and other changes to streamline sustainable transportation in California.
What It Will Take to Close Oakland’s Structural Deficit, Part 2: Budget-Setting, Spending, and Revenues
News / Oakland city leaders must close a $129 million shortfall in this year’s budget and eliminate an additional $280 million deficit projected over the next two years. Now, policymakers, administrators, employee unions, and Oaklanders must work together to reduce spending and grow revenues. To support the process, SPUR provides a primer on the city’s budget-setting process, where its revenue comes from, and how that money is spent.
Remembering Wells Whitney
News / Former SPUR board member Wells Whitney died on February 4. A research scientist with degrees from Harvard and MIT, he and a small group of other “techies” formed a SPUR Telecom Technology Task Force in 1999 to advocate for fairness and inclusion in digital infrastructure. Their work helped San Francisco bridge the digital divide by requiring cell phone providers to offer affordable access across the city.
Remembering George Miller
News / George A. Miller, SPUR board member from 2015 to 2022, member of the Finance Committee, and past member of the Ballot Analysis Committee, died on February 4, two days before his 89th birthday, as he was preparing to rejoin the SPUR Board of Directors for another term. George was one of a kind — a deep thinker, an urbanist, an environmentalist, a brilliant investment strategist, and an irreverent raconteur who was smart enough not to take himself too seriously. He will be greatly missed.