Your email address will not be published. [2][3] Schaaf won re-election in 2018 with a 27% margin. from Loyola Law School.[7]. Her mother was a flight attendant. / CBS San Francisco. An estimated 60% or more are Black. Facts of var today = new Date(); When I became the mayor, it wasnt a top concern. Fort Funston visitors beware: A World War II era structure fell off a proposed multibillion-dollar waterfront ballpark and surrounding development, ending nearly 20 years under federal oversight, Oakland Chamber of Commerce poll released in October, equipped an entire generation of children, one of the nations largest guaranteed income programs. Despite voters suggesting a different form of leadership, Schaaf said she hopes residents will remember her as a fighter. By October, that had plummeted to 35%. For more news and updates about your favorite stars, please stay connected with us atFeatured Biography. Some of the highest vacancy rates are in key city functions about 30% of jobs in the building department are open and nearly a third of positions in the transportation department are open. That wasnt her goal, Schaaf said. in political science from Rollins College and a J.D. Some leaders have pointed to Schaafs tenuous relationships with city unions, which have protested long hours and understaffing during tense contract negotiations, as a reason for the vacancies. Oakland is a challenging city to govern, said Doug Linney, a political consultant in the East Bay. It's been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Oakland's 50th Mayor during the eventful years of 2015-2022. I believe that the housing crisis in California actually is the biggest threat to our golden-ness as astate,Schaafsaid in an interview with Bloomberg Newsat Oakland City Hall, referring to the state's nickname as the Golden State., Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images. But homelessness experts say its a quick and cost-effective way to get people indoors. 2022-12-11 - Daniel Borenstein is editor of the East Bay Times opinion pages. Schaaf has also been a strong advocate for locating a ballpark for the A's at Howard Terminal in the Port of Oakland. The department is tantalizing close to ending nearly 20 years under federal oversight in May, if it can continue to comply with court-mandated reforms. Under her watch, Oakland has repeatedly and violently evicted residents of Oakland encampments closing as many as 12 encampments a month. $5 million for each longtime Black resident? John Ramos accidentally launched a lifelong career in journalism when he began drawing editorial cartoons and writing smart-alecky satire pieces for the Bakersfield High School newspaper. They are literally the antithesis of everything we say we stand for. People tend to be remembered by the end of their administration and if that Oakland Chamber of Commerce poll is any indication, shes not being well remembered, said Dan Lindheim, a former city administrator and current professor at UC Berkeleys Goldman School of Public Policy. Before starting her political career, Schaaf was an attorney in Oakland at the law firm of Reed Smith LLP. It also lays out her political achievements and failures as the citys 50th mayor for the past eight years. Loandepot Park Home Plate Box B, Bisquick Fish Batter Without Beer , Palm Cove Hoa Fees , Best Cartridge For 20 Inch Barrel , Llyn Y Fan Fach Fishing , Fallout 4 Companion Console Commands , Homemade Sheep Headgate , Jennifer Dantzscher Pippin Death , Quinn Meinerz Parents , ">. Schaaf acknowledged her relationships with unions, calling herself a hard ass about the citys financial health and saying she prioritized paying down the citys pension obligations and creating a rainy-day fund in hopes of avoiding future layoffs. In the business community, there were a lot of people concerned about Loren initially based upon his support from Libby, said Greg McConnell, who spearheaded an independent expenditure effort for former Councilmember Ignacio De La Fuente. When Nathan, a 9-year-old boy she was tutoring, ran across the gym to greet her with a hug, she recognized that her real joy was in public service. There is no treatment. As Schaaf exits on Jan. 2, she leaves behind a crime-ridden city with inadequate police staffing, unfunded retirement liabilities that have grown from about $2.4 billion a decade ago to $3 billion in 2021, and general fund budget shortfalls projected to reach more than $100 million in each of the next two fiscal years. There is no doubt with a million worth fortune; she holds several lavish properties; however, nothing official has been released on this topic. Delving into Schaafs charitable works, let us start with theOakland Cares. Funding for the Department of Transportation came from many public resources, including Measure BB,[27] a sales tax approved in November 2014 to fund transportation projects in Alameda County. The next mayor has their work cut out to get us out of the hole Schaaf has dug us into. She holds a B.A. Come January, Thao, as the new mayor, and her labor allies on the council will no longer be able to use Schaaf as their political foil to hide their own failures to address the citys problems. The 50th Mayor of Oakland, Libby Schaaf, is a happily married woman. Ask Amy: I'm young and hot, and I just got two of my older clients pregnant, Harriette Cole: My husband can't remember what he did on New Year's Eve, and I can't forget, The Bay Area's 10 best new bakeries, from Los Gatos to Danville to Emeryville, Dear Abby: It makes me queasy when my boyfriend sends roses to my office for no reason, Miss Manners: These two moms tried to shame me for cutting in the supermarket line, Dear Abby: Because of a patio heater, we've been dragged into their messy divorce, Harriette Cole: I'm hurt by my best friend's surprising behavior. "And it will be for others to decide whether that was a good job or not.". A Bay Area native, he holds masters degrees in public policy and journalism from University of California, Berkeley. Schaaf also strove to increase government transparency and efficiency, build a safer city, and strengthen Oakland neighborhoods in her time on city council. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Residents are mostly split in their opinions of Schaaf. Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf hugs supporter Tiffany Lacsado as Madison Lacsado Harvell, 5, looks on during Schaafs final news conference as mayor. Every so often, shed pause and point to the building where her mother lived or the white Victorian home where she got married. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. He pointed out the citys facing the highest levels of crime and violence in a decade, a massive increase in homelessness, a potential financial collapse and the loss of more than a third of Oaklands Black population. She instituted one of the nations largest guaranteed income programs for low-income residents and launched a widely lauded program called Keep Oakland Housed, which provides rent checks and legal representation for residents at risk of homelessness. As Schaaf exits on Jan. 2, she leaves behind a crime-ridden city with inadequate police staffing, unfunded retirement liabilities that have grown from about $2.4 billion a decade ago to $3. in political science from Rollins College and a J.D. In addition to repaving, Schaaf created a Department of Transportation and a 311 system that residents can call to report potholes and damaged roads. Her mother used to work as a flight attendant. She oversaw the city as it dealt with tragedy when the Ghost Ship fire killed 36 people at a warehouse party. Despite those advances, some city leaders criticized Schaafs administration for failing to deliver basic city services. As Schaaf exits on Jan. 2, she leaves behind a crime-ridden city with inadequate police staffing, unfunded retirement liabilities that have grown from about $2.4 billion a decade ago to $3. Show this thread. "My other disappointment is I was able to budget for a police force of nearly 800 officers, but never actually able to reach that staffing number," she said. Its the kind of foundational investments that she did in her tenure that will bear fruit for the city of Oakland in the long-term, Moss said. If we follow her actions, we think we can feel she loves what she does. The mayor has only a seldom-used tie-breaking vote. Rep. Katie Porter, a Democratic star . Weve had to respond to the crisis while building a whole new system that did not exist in City Hall just six years ago.. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. But as she prepares to leave office, with the city still facing tremendous problems, Oakland's 50th mayor was reluctant to evaluate her own performance. Oakland is a challenging city to govern, said Doug Linney, a political consultant in the East Bay. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Libby has Stargardt's Mascular Dystrophy disease, which is a deteriorating eye condition that has left the athlete with only slight peripheral vision in her left eye. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served on the Oakland City Council. She tied the knot with her husband,Salvatore Fahey. Officers say theyre overwhelmed by call volume, and data shows the majority of these calls are for noncriminal events such as issues related to homelessness and mental health. document.write(sentence); Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. When it came to the mayoral race this year, Schaafs popularity was so tarnished that business leaders who shared her concern about a labor takeover of city government failed to unify behind a candidate, and some dismissed Taylors candidacy because he was endorsed by Schaaf. Before the sun rose on a brisk February morning, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf looked around Lake Merritt and counted the number of people sleeping on the street for the bieennial point-in-time count. articles a month for anyone to read, even non-subscribers! In the citys housing element from 2015 to 2023, which lays out how a city will plan for new homes, Oakland reached 174% of its goal for above-moderate-rate housing. Its been the honor of a lifetime to serve as Oaklands 50th Mayor during the eventful years of 2015-2022. I'm a Black woman and a co-founder of the Anti Police-Terror Project. But the reticence was reinforced by Schaafs lack of a political organization to support campaigns. While making the rounds, she shooed a rat away from a blanket covering someone sleeping in the pergola. she exclaimed. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Since Schaaf took office, the number of unhoused Oaklanders has increased by 130%. We did not have a structure in place to deal with it. She referenced them as she looked back on her time in office. [37], Schaaf is Jewish. In 2010, Schaaf was elected to represent her home district, District 4, on the Oakland City Council. November 4, 2014 Oakland mayoral election, List of mayors of the 50 largest US cities, "Councilwoman Libby Schaaf files to run for Oakland mayor", "Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf wins re-election", "Mayoral election in Oakland, California (2018)", "Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf Is Our East Bay Person of the Year", "De La Fuente to challenge Schaaf for Oakland mayor in 2018", "Mayor-elect Schaaf: Now is 'Oakland's time', "Oakland voters approve two tax measures, minimum wage hike", "Gov. A J.D tied the knot with her husband, Salvatore Fahey a rat away a! 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