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Local Government

CITY OF OAKLAND ELECTED OFFICIALS

Oakland Mayor

Elected for a four-year term and can only serve two terms.
Responsibilities:

Appoints the City Administrator, an employee, who is responsible to run City services like police, fire, parks, recreation centers, libraries and city streets. (City Council approves this person)
Recommends programs, laws and a budget to the City Council.
Nominates residents to many commissions that provide oversight to important services.

Oakland is divided into seven districts. Each district has one Councilmember with a four-year term. In addition, one City Council member is elected by the whole city, “at large.”

Responsibilities:
The Council sets policy for City departments, can change local laws (called ordinances) for things like zoning, permits and licenses or local taxes. The City Council approves City contracts and the City budget.

City Attorney

Elected for a four-year term.
Responsibilities:

Provides legal services, advice and representation to elected officials, City Administration, boards, commissions or other agencies of the City.
Drafts ordinances, resolutions, contracts and other legal documents.
Defends the City against claims and lawsuits and initiates lawsuits on behalf of the City.

City Auditor

Elected for a four-year term.

Responsibilities:

Performs financial audits, and reviews records, procedures and activities of City departments.
Prepares impartial financial analyses of all ballot measures and proposed major expenditures.
Provides assistance to City departments to enhance effectiveness, efficiency and economy of their operations.

OUSD School Board Member

Oakland Unified School District is divided into seven districts. The Board of Education consists of seven (7) directors elected for a four-year term.

Responsibilities:

Board directors are elected to work as a team with the superintendent to ensure students have access to a quality education. They set direction, adopt and monitor a budget, oversee the superintendent and advocate for children, the school district and public schools.

ALAMEDA COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS

County Supervisor

Oakland is in Alameda County. The County has five districts. Each district has a Supervisor who is elected for a four-year term.

Responsibilities:

Appoints the County Administrator, who is an employee who runs the day-to-day operations for county services, such as public health, mental health, social services, probation, child support, public defender and elections.
Adopts the budget and approves contracts .

District Attorney

Responsibilities:

The District Attorney charges and prosecutes criminal violations of the laws of California. Prosecutions are in such areas as felonies (like murder, homicide, manslaughter, rape, assault and aggravated battery) and fraud (like consumer, real estate, mortgage, insurance, medical and financial fraud) and crimes against elders and dependent adults, and environmental protection.

Alameda County Board

of Education Trustee

The Alameda County Board of Education is managed by a Governing Board of seven Trustees. Trustees serve 4-year terms. Each Trustee is elected by Area. Parts of Oakland are represented in Areas 1, 2, and 3.

Responsibilities:

The primary objective of the County Board is to work with the County Superintendent of Schools to establish the direction and priorities for the COE and to provide leadership to support the success of public education.

Peralta Community College

District Trustee

The Community College District is comprised of Laney and Merritt Colleges in Oakland, College of Alameda, and Berkeley City College.

The Community College District is managed by a Governing Board of seven Trustees. Trustees serve 4-year terms. Each Trustee is elected by Area. Parts of Oakland are represented in Areas 3, 5, and 7.

REGIONAL GOVERNMENT ELECTED OFFICIALS

AC Transit Board Member

Directors serve four-year terms. There are no term limits.

Responsibilities:

Directors set the budget, set policies and manage services to keep buses

operating. These include hiring a General Manager and General Counsel,

setting salaries and benefits and managing labor negotiations.

BART Board Member

The BART Board of Directors is comprised of nine elected officials from the nine BART districts. Board members serve a four-year term.

Responsibilities:

Directors set the budget and policies. The board members hire and fire 5 officers: the general manager, controller-treasurer, independent police auditor, general counsel, and district secretary.

EBMUD Board Member

East Bay Municipal Utilities District (EBMUD) provides safe and adequate drinking water and wastewater treatment services in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.

Oakland votes on Wards (Districts) 3 and 4 of a seven-member Board. Directors serve four-year terms.

Responsibilities:

The Directors set rates, manage the budget and staff responsible for EBMUD services and facilities.

EBRPD Board Member

The East Bay Regional Park District (EBRPD) are committed to preserving the natural and cultural resources in the Regional Parks and providing healthful recreation.

Oakland votes on Wards (Districts) 2 and 4 of a seven-member Board. Directors serve four-year terms.

Responsibilities:

The overall responsibility of the Board is to establish policies which promote and protect the public interest, as it is served by District parks and progams.