Oakland (Special to ZennieReport.com) – For reasons still not shared (and those offered are flimsy at best), Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee (represented by City Administrator Jestin Johnson) fired Assistant City Administrator LaTonda Simmons on Friday. The move came to a shock to many, and all scrambled for answers. Some said that it was because of LaTonda Simmons not carrying out homeless policy.
But what that person missed was that LaTonda Simmons had not done homeless work in the last 18 months. Indeed, it’s hard to find a reason, and her great memo-writing work leaves no clues. But what’s present in her memos is, when the time is appropriate, is her vast institutional memory.
Take this memo on County/ City Lead Settlement Discussions.
From: Simmons, LaTonda
To: MLS
Cc: Nosakhare, Shereda; Reiskin, Edward; Flynn, Darlene
Subject: County/ City Lead Settlement Discussions
Date: Wednesday, September 15, 2021 8:48:08 AM
Attachments: Abating Lead Hazard_Racial Equity Impact Analysis_v2_9.8.21.pdfThe City of Oakland and San Jose initiated the lawsuit against paint companies and was joined by Alameda County more than 20 years ago.
The City and County re-established negotiation discussions June of 2020. Initial discussion provided for historic context and program development activities to that point. Near year’s end, the County produced recommendations for approximately 34 to 42% allocations to the City with reduced representation on the board and diminished oversight authority on the use of all lead funding, without any data as baseline.
The City advised the County of the necessity to perform an race an equity analysis to establish a data informed baseline of needs and focused service delivery.
The City and County completed series of meeting to obtain data for completion of the study In addition data on lead standards were obtain from state and federal regulatory organizations. Meetings paused to allow completion of the study and internal review by department team prior to presentation of summary findings with the County of Alameda.
The County and City resumed meetings August with the City’s presentation findings as attached. The City’s study determined that more than 70% of the greatest needs for lead abatement services were in Oakland census tracts.
Subsequent meetings with the County last August the County team agreed with Oakland’s data analysis and countered their original offer to expand their recommendation for 60% allocation, indicated offers for additional data, and need to continue discussions regarding finite determinations of allocations, collaborative program development, and agreement to
fund disbursement.Additionally, the City presented before the JPA who agreed with the City’s recommendations and path forward as to continuing discussions with the City County team to finalize agreement for development and fund disbursement.
The City is awaiting the additional information from the County and both are work are working to calendar follow up meetings for remaining discussions. I and Director Flynn are coordinating development of a formal response to the County’s letter incorporating all matters forward.
Ms. Simmons gave a brief history of actions as well as the overall length of time this matter has been of importance to the City Oakland and the County of Alameda. How many would know that the City of Oakland was “joined by Alameda County more than 20 years ago”?
Firing LaTonda Simmons was a clear mistake.
Post Script: To Those Who Guess That Ms. Simmons Was Fired For Encampment Policy Work
For some reason, certain observers I have talked to want to say that LaTonda was fired because sbe, as one person put it, “did not follow encampment policy”. But the fact is, Simmons has not been responsible for any aspect of Oakland Homeless Encampment work since March of last year. So, that notion regarding LaTonda and encampment policy is not correct.
Then, on my first YouTube video, below….A viewer wrote this:
@SistahTuMuchMarley
1. She never was a City Administrator. She was an Assistant.
2. She illegally fired two staff members in Head Start, making us liable.
3. It is common for incoming mayors to clean house, so to speak, upon taking office.
4. The fiscal mismanagement alone should be cause for termination.
5. Creating a hostile work environment should be cause alone for termination.
6. Not showing up for mandatory, high priority meetings should be cause alone.
7. Deliberately, almost causing us to lose a grant award that sows over $100million annually into the local economy should be cause as well. These are all facts related to FORMER ACA LaTonda Simmons. Bonus: the award letters to grantees are addressed automatically to the staff member assigned that portfolio, not necessarily to who secured it, as she did not.
I addressed those comments in the live vlog, and I will reveal them here:
Regarding “1. She never was a City Administrator. She was an Assistant”: What does that have to do with anything?
Regarding “2. She illegally fired two staff members in Head Start, making us liable”. A Head Start employee is at-will, so how is such a termination illegal, if it did happen to start with?
Regarding “3. It is common for incoming mayors to clean house, so to speak, upon taking office”. If that’s the case, Mayor Lee should start at the top with Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson.
Regarding “4. The fiscal mismanagement alone should be cause for termination” LaTonda was not responsible for the City’s budget, that was Erin Roseman together with Oakland City Administrator Jestin Johnson. Roseman is gone, but why not Johnson?
Regarding “5. Creating a hostile work environment should be cause alone for termination”. There’s no evidence of such a scenario in her history. She did not become “most popular in Oakland” by just waking up in the morning.
Regarding “6. Not showing up for mandatory, high priority meetings should be cause alone” there’s no evidence of that, and lately, she was at home recovering from a broken ankle that City Administrator
Regarding “7. Deliberately, almost causing us to lose a grant award that sows over $100million annually into the local economy should be cause as well. These are all facts related to FORMER ACA LaTonda Simmons. Bonus: the award letters to grantees are addressed automatically to the staff member assigned that portfolio, not necessarily to who secured it, as she did not.” Saying that she “almost caused us to lose a grant award” is a meaningless opinion. LaTonda successfully secured a $7.2 million homeless services grant in April 2024.