Oakland will need to look at making some severe cuts to balance its budget. The finance department sounded the alarm on Friday, saying to balance the budget now or declare a fiscal emergency.
The city said it is already spending money from its emergency reserves.
Oakland is facing a deficit of $93 million for this fiscal year that ends in June 2025. Since public safety takes up a majority of the budget, experts believe any cuts will likely include police and fire.
“To cut an already shortened police department makes absolutely no sense, and to cut from the fire department makes absolutely no sense,” said Oakland resident Tahira Hodge.
Hodge and her family evacuated from their home last month in the Keller Fire. She credited the fire department for saving her neighborhood.
“I looked out, and I saw all the smoke and there was some fire in the trees. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh,'” said Hodge.
In a contingency budget plan released in June, the city talked about reducing the police force down to around 600 officers. The city has roughly 670 officers.