Barbara Lee all but declares she'll run for mayor in November

Mayor Barbara Lee signaled she intends to run for reelection in November, saying she has more work to do and wants to finish what she started. She indicated a formal declaration will come after the primary election next month. Her political future is closely tied to the June 2 election, where voters will decide Measure E, a contentious parcel tax. Measure E’s outcome will function as a referendum on support for her agenda and will shape the resources available to the next mayor. Lee proposed a balanced budget that does not rely on Measure E revenue, avoiding layoffs while reducing some public safety budgets and increasing other services. She also released a spending plan for Measure E funds, including vehicle replacements, hiring new police officers, expanding shelter capacity, and violence prevention efforts.

"It also boosts the budgets for human resources and animal services, expands senior center hours, invests in AI, and makes other additions. The mayor also released a Measure E spending plan, detailing what the city could do with the additional tax money. It includes replacing ancient city vehicles like fire engines and dump trucks, paying for 22 new cops and a police academy, adding shelter beds and violence prevention coaches."

Read at The Oaklandside