OPOA Cites Lack of Transparency and Absence of Financial Plan from City Leadership
Oakland (Special to ZennieReport.com) – The Oakland Police Officers Association (OPOA) has officially declined a formal City of Oakland request to defer a 3% contractual wage increase scheduled for July 1, 2025.
The City made the request in a letter dated May 8 citing the mounting and ongoing City of Oakland budget deficit debacle. In response, OPOA and its legal counsel emphasized the City’s failure to provide transparency or a viable short- or long-term financial plan to the officers.
“This request came as a complete surprise,” said Huy Nguyen, OPOA president. “Despite repeated efforts over the past year, including meetings and written correspondence, the City has failed to produce a concrete financial plan or a collaborative path forward.”
OPOA leadership and legal representatives have consistently asked the City for detailed information about the magnitude of the city’s fiscal crisis, and for a strategic roadmap to address it. To date, those requests have gone unanswered. The only financial outline offered has been interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins’ proposed budget, which relies heavily on the passage of a yet-to-be-approved property tax measure. OPOA expressed concern over the lack of a contingency plan if the measure fails.
“In 2011, OPOA led the way on concessions that helped Oakland avoid bankruptcy,” said Nguyen. “But that cooperation was based on transparency, accountability, and a comprehensive plan developed by a third-party financial expert. Today, we have none of those assurances.”
The association noted that deferring pay would worsen morale and staffing in a department already under strain. “Our officers are deeply committed to public safety, and morale is fragile. Asking them to forgo a hard-earned raise—without even a plan—sends the wrong message to those who serve and protect Oakland every day,” said Huy Nguyen, President of the OPOA.
The OPOA reiterated its willingness to work with the City on deficit solutions, provided the process is collaborative and informed by transparent financial planning. However, until such proposals are put forward, the association will not consider wage concessions.
The OPOA has been imploring the City of Oakland for more than a year to advise the OPOA of the depth and magnitude of the budget deficit and provide the OPOA with a short – and long-term viable plans to address the financial ruin facing the City. The City has provided no plans to OPOA, Nguyen said.
On the contrary, interim Mayor Kevin Jenkins and Barbara Lee, who will be sworn in as Mayor of Oakland on Tuesday, May 20, have publicly stated that the people of Oakland deserve a safe city. The OPOA said in its rejection of a wage deferral that “a safe city means a robust, viable and fully staffed police department. It goes without saying that foregoing a pay raise would have a devastating impact on morale and staffing. As we have advised the Police Department, there are many Oakland Police Officers who are contemplating leaving the Department. This is not a time for the City to send a message that their service and continued employment has diminished value. City of Oakland leadership cannot publicly proclaim Oakland residents deserve public safety and then attempt to cut police officer pay raises at the same time.”
“The foundation for our economic recovery lies in public safety. And by public safety, maybe even drilling down a little bit deeper. We need to rebuild the confidence that our residents need to have, our visitors need to have and our businesses need to have,” said the Chamber of Commerce’s Barbara Leslie. The chamber believes city policymakers should make public safety the top issue they address. She said, without it, creating new business and expanding the city’s tax base will remain a nearly impossible task.