SFGate / July 12, 2022
Oakland residents will get to vote on greater eviction protections, term limits for City Council members and a likely fairer election process following action by the City Council on Monday.
The council placed those proposals on the ballot for voters to consider in November as well as an $850 million infrastructure bond. The bond will leave property taxes unchanged.
Councilmembers failed to place a proposal on the ballot titled the Emerald New Deal, which would have directed $160 million in city cannabis business tax revenue to provide restitution to Black and Hispanic residents negatively affected by the War on Drugs.
Councilmembers Treva Reid, Noel Gallo and mayoral hopeful Loren Taylor voted in favor of the Emerald New Deal, but Carroll Fife and Sheng Thao voted against the idea and Nikki Fortunato Bas and Dan Kalb abstained.
“This is a call to action,” Bas, the council president said.
“I think this is the beginning of an effort,” she said.