OAKLAND — Mayor Barbara Lee’s marketing campaign promise of bringing optimism again to Oakland could have been all that residents wanted to listen to from the previous congresswoman serving lower than half a time period earlier than the subsequent election.
In her first mayoral state-of-the-city handle on Tuesday, Lee went past that. She urged everybody listening to acknowledge that good issues are occurring in Oakland, presenting herself as greater than the caretaker of a metropolis that’s recovering from a tough pandemic.
The 79-year-old progressive icon touted declining crime ranges, her efforts to streamline allow approvals and — for the primary time in twenty years — hold all the hearth stations open, whereas securing numerous pockets of funding from Alameda County and California’s coffers.
Principally, although, Lee pleaded for a extra optimistic narrative round Oakland — particularly with President Donald Trump showing decided to pack the streets in main U.S. cities with Nationwide Guard troops and immigration authorities.
“For every single struggle that this city faces, there is a story waiting to be told of recovery and opportunity,” Lee instructed the gang inside Metropolis Corridor.
Lee promised stability after prevailing in an April particular election to finish the time period of Mayor Sheng Thao, who voters recalled final November, earlier than she was federally indicted on conspiracy costs.
However in a shortened time period of just below 19 months, Lee could not have lengthy to realize extra bold objectives. By the point she presents her subsequent state-of-the-city handle, voters may have acquired ballots in the 2026 mayoral election. Lee, who defeated former Councilman Loren Taylor in April, has not publicly stated whether or not she’d run or not.
Earlier than assuming workplace, Lee’s most outstanding coverage proposal was to re-examine the legislative energy given to any mayor in Oakland’s present governmental construction — an effort that would basically shift how town is ruled.
Different adjustments are extra administrative, reminiscent of making it simpler for folks to drag and procure permits at Metropolis Corridor. Now, she estimated, the method could possibly be accomplished inside weeks — as a substitute of almost a 12 months.
“Sometimes, I think things move too slow here,” she acknowledged, grinning. “You know that East Coast fast pace? … I’m kind of like, ‘Let’s move a little faster.’”
Maybe Lee’s highest-profile enterprise to date is a brand new Workplace of Homelessness, designed to coordinate funding for each emergency shelters and everlasting housing.
Over a month into its formation, nevertheless, the workplace appears to be progressing slowly, with workers nonetheless within the means of being employed underneath an interim director, Sasha Hauswald.
The mayor’s workplace stated Tuesday that it’s ready on a timeline to obtain cash from Alameda County’s Measure W, a key tranche of funding to fight homelessness within the area and one in all Lee’s core pitches to voters.
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee waves her hand as Congresswoman Latiffa Simon, third from left, and different attendees applaud her heading to the rostrum to ship the State of Oakland handle at Oakland Metropolis Corridor in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group)
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee delivers her State of Oakland speech to metropolis and state officers, in addition to neighborhood members, at Oakland Metropolis Corridor in Oakland Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group)
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee delivers her State of Oakland speech to metropolis and state officers, in addition to neighborhood members, at Oakland Metropolis Corridor in Oakland Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group)
Congresswoman Latiffa Simon, rioght, and different attendees applaud as Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee delivers the State of Oakland handle at Oakland Metropolis Corridor in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group)
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee delivers her State of Oakland speech to metropolis and state officers, in addition to neighborhood members, at Oakland Metropolis Corridor in Oakland Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group)
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee delivers her State of Oakland speech to metropolis and state officers, in addition to neighborhood members, at Oakland Metropolis Corridor in Oakland Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group)
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee thanks metropolis and state officers, in addition to neighborhood members, after delivering her State of Oakland speech at Oakland Metropolis Corridor in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group)
Oakland Police Chief Floyd Mitchell, left, seems on as Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee delivers the State of Oakland handle at Oakland Metropolis Corridor in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group)
Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee gestures after delivering her State of Oakland speech at Oakland Metropolis Corridor in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group)
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Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee waves her hand as Congresswoman Latiffa Simon, third from left, and different attendees applaud her heading to the rostrum to ship the State of Oakland handle at Oakland Metropolis Corridor in Oakland, Calif., on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025. (Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group)
Increase
Within the meantime, Lee’s mayoral tenure isn’t going through the identical crime ranges as her predecessor.
As of Oct. 5, crimes investigated as homicides had dropped by 27% from the identical time period final 12 months, whereas robberies had dropped by 40%, burglaries by 41% and total violent crime by 23%.
MACRO, a police-alternative program that deploys unarmed responders to non-emergency conditions, this week acquired a $1 million state grant that can hold it funded after grant cash from its founding runs out.
“It’s making a real difference,” Arreguin stated of the CHP in an handle to the council Tuesday, the place the previous Berkeley mayor additionally introduced he had just lately moved to Oakland.
And Trump remained a central theme of Lee’s messaging.
“I will not allow Oakland to be bullied by the president of the United States,” she stated.
This can be a growing story. Verify again for updates.
Initially Printed: October 7, 2025 at 7:30 PM PDT
