Oakland Mayor Thao, Oakland Port Welcomes Council Executive Committee

New Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao welcomed the Bay Area Council Executive Committee to her city on Thursday, hosted by executive committee member Danny Wan, the Executive Director of the Port of Oakland.  She emphasized how with her as Mayor, infighting with the City Council has ceased, allowing her to focus on the nuts and bolts of making Oakland successful.  She pointed to the recently and rapidly approved budget as proof.  She said that tackling crime is her top priority, and that she asked to be judged by actual police, in uniform, on the street and not “funded positions” which she called “politician speak.”  

With several new police academies scheduled, she expects police ranks to grow.  She said that growing up in some hardship, she knows how valuable and needed the police are.  She thanked her predecessors for the diversity of Oakland’s downtown, with a good balance of new housing,  office, entertainment and retail which can help with economic resilience.  She pointed out that there are still many great sites for development, especially Howard Terminal, and said she would love to have a tour of the site with developers arranged by the Bay Area Council.  

Council Chair Kausik Rajgopal thanked the mayor and praised her for her accessibility, leadership, passion, energy and partnership. Thao will join the Council next Tuesday (June 20) when she and San Francisco Mayor London Breed will discuss the future of cities in a conversation moderated by United Airlines leader Papia Gambelin.