Why Charter Reform Deserves Your Attention 
Your mid-term ballot next November will include a measure proposing to change the government structure set forth in our City Charter. Ensuring voters understand the power of their vote on the Charter—the City’s governing document—is essential to a healthy democracy. A clear understanding of the Charter helps residents see how Oakland’s government works, who holds authority, and how decisions that affect our daily lives are made. When citizens are informed and engaged, they are better equipped to participate meaningfully, hold leaders accountable, and shape a City that supports everyone’s ability to live, learn, love, and thrive in Oakland—strengthening our county, our state, our nation, and our shared world.
Background
In August 2025, Mayor Barbara Lee convened the Mayor’s Working Group on Charter Reform to study how the Oakland Charter might be revised to support better governance. Specifically, Mayor Lee asked the group to make recommendations for changes that might clarify the roles of elected officials, lead to better financial governance and improve transparency and accountability.
The League of Women Voters of Oakland and SPUR responded to the Mayor’s request to co-facilitate the Working Group’s process. That work included extensive outreach to the community and to a wide range of individuals and organizations with deep experience in Oakland.
Resources
The Working Group’s report issued on January 29, 2026. Its process has resulted in a trove of resources, in addition to the report, that will allow officials and Oakland voters to inform themselves, advocate for changes they favor, and vote from an informed stance when a ballot measure is proposed. All resources listed below are available on the Mayor’s website https://www.mayorbarbaralee.com/charter-reform:
- A short two-minute explanatory video
- A recording of one of the 14 community listening sessions that were conducted in person in every City Council district and twice on zoom (approximately 750 participants overall)
- An FAQ addressing many queries concerning the process and the Working Group’s recommendations (the FAQ is embedded in the Mayor’s press release)
- Results of a citywide survey re: changes to the Charter based on 433 responses
- The report of the Working Group which itself provides
- full analysis of the two models for municipal governance, one or another of which is adopted by virtually all cities
- a recommendation that Oakland revise its Charter to firmly commit to one of these models, which are both recognized as embodying best practices
- a further recommendation that Oakland move toward a model of balanced governance with distinct executive and legislative branches
- a clear outline of how responsibilities might be aligned to balance and strengthen both executive and legislative branches to achieve accountability and transparency
- multiple appendices adding context about such topics as the history of Charter reform in Oakland
- cross-city research about other cities' choices regarding governance models.
Upcoming Public Meetings
The process will conclude with two more public meetings facilitated by LWVO and SPUR. Members of the Working Group will participate to discuss their report and its recommendations.
The meetings will be held on (location TBD):
Tuesday, February 17, 5:30 pm
Monday, February 23, 6:00 pm
As it becomes available, you’ll find information on location here: https://www.mayorbarbaralee.com/charter-reform
Next Steps
Subsequent LWVO posts will address Oakland’s options for changes to the Charter in more depth.
The Mayor and City Council intend to formulate a ballot measure for the November 2026 election that would propose changes subject to voter approval.
When a ballot measure is formulated later this spring, LWVO will follow its practice of analyzing the ballot measure and its pros and cons.