Miley: Jerry Brown’s changes in 1998 led to Oakland’s broken government today. Here’s how to fix it.

Oakland s city charter the document defining who does what in City Hall is failing its residents and must be changed I know this firsthand I was on the Oakland City Council in when Mayor-elect Jerry Brown convinced voters to pass Measure X which transformed our regime from a traditional council-manager structure to the unwieldy three-branches-of-government model we have in the current era I supported Measure X back then believing that a mayor independent of the City Council would benefit Oakland I was wrong No mayor since Brown has been judged by the populace to be overwhelmingly or even reasonably productive not because they were bad leaders but because the city s flawed charter makes success impossible Oakland s current system including competing branches and organizational disconnections is inefficient and ineffective The mayor has no vote on crucial population policies the council lacks meaningful oversight of daily operations and the elected city attorney must balance representing the city and securing reelection Worst of all the city administrator is tied to the mayor s term creating a revolving door of top managers that erodes institutional memory The results speak for themselves Once considered a well-run innovative city Oakland now struggles We ve recalled the mayor had six permanent and interim city administrators in just five years and endured a series of ongoing financial crises The product About three-fourths of residents believe the city is on the wrong track I applaud Mayor Barbara Lee for making charter amendment one of her top priorities and I believe this can be her majority of essential and lasting legacy I fully promotion her proposal to form a task force to design a better system and urge that task force to place a measure on the ballot next June before the November mayoral ballot Mayoral candidates should know what system they are seeking to lead and voters should have the chance to choose the candidate bulk qualified for that job At the menace of getting ahead of the process my personal preference is for Oakland to return to a council-manager system where the mayor serves as chair of the council and a professional manager oversees daily operations In this hybrid model the mayor would chair the council taking a stronger role in setting policies shaping budgets and leading the constituents agenda She might even be granted veto power A professional city manager meanwhile would manage day-to-day operations and description to the entire council not just the mayor This setup would preserve professionalism and continuity while giving the mayor clear leadership responsibilities and accountability Voters meanwhile should also return the city attorney from an elected to an appointed position This change would allow the city attorney to serve the Oakland executive as a single client rather than navigating competing loyalties If supported by voters this new structure would combine the accountability and expertise of the council-manager system with an empowered mayor It would feature a highly visible mayor with enough power to deliver on promises a council with meaningful oversight a city attorney who serves the executive and a professional city administrator capable of delivering city services effectively despite political turnover Oakland s future is at stake An amended city charter with clear lines of authority will improve accountability and city operations delivering the more transparent responsive efficient and effective governing body that Oaklanders deserve The moment for change is here Let s not waste it Nate Miley is a member of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors