As Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee drums up support for a reform to the city’s charter that would give her more power within city hall, she’s facing questions about whether voters will put their trust the city’s top leadership.
As Council Member Ken Houston put it: “We believe in you, but what about that next person?”
On Tuesday, the Oakland City Council voted 5-3 to advance the charter reform proposal toward the November ballot, but not without expressing concerns with the expanded powers the measure would bring to the mayor’s office. Council Members Zac Unger, Noel Gallo and Janani Ramachandran opposed the motion…