Oaklanders pay the highest taxes per capita of any major city in California. Since 2020, voters approved more than $150M in new annual tax revenue, which was promised to improve public safety, libraries, parks, and city services.
But the city still projects deficits exceeding $130M a year through the end of the decade. And now city leaders are asking for more money.
There’s a running joke that there isn’t a tax Oakland voters won’t approve. But before we say yes to yet another one, here’s a look at what the city has done with the money it already has.
Also read why the League of Women Voters of Oakland and the East Bay Times also recommend voting no on Measure E.
What is a parcel tax? A property tax bill has two parts.
The first is a standard percentage of a home’s assessed value — this is the property tax most people know.
The second is a stack of flat fees called parcel taxes, charged the same dollar amount on every property regardless of value, so a $200,000 home pays the same as a $2 million one.
Oakland has nine of these parcel taxes on top of the base property tax, adding $600 to $1,000 or more per year to every bill, depending on your neighborhood.
Measure E would add another $192 a year for single-family homes, for the next 9 years.
Zoom out: Oakland has passed four new tax measures in two years — on top of a tax burden that has already grown 379% over the past 20 years, more than 6x the rate of inflation.
In 2024, voters approved Measures MM and NN, both parcel taxes targeting public safety.
In 2025, voters approved Measure A, a 0.5% sales tax increase, pushing Oakland to the highest sales tax rate in California.
Measure E would add yet another layer to a tax bill that’s been growing for decades with little to show for it.
Broken promises: Three of Oakland’s last four tax measures came with spending commitments the city never kept.
One of the clearest examples is Measure NN, which generates $30M a year, with the promise of maintaining 700 officers.
Today, OPD has 618 sworn officers, the lowest in decades. After accounting for medical and administrative leave, only about 500 are on active duty.
A city-commissioned study says Oakland needs 877 — and there’s no credible plan to reach the legally-required 700, yet the tax is still being collected.
An Alameda County Grand Jury found a “fundamental disconnect” between what Oakland promises and what it delivers.
Not a money problem: Oakland doesn’t have a funding problem, it has a management problem.
Currently, more than 800 city positions are funded but vacant, and more than half don’t even have an active hiring process underway.
The police department alone has 80 open budgeted roles sitting empty. More money won’t solve this problem.
Plus, Measure E’s $34M in new annual revenue can be spent on virtually any government purpose, with no binding requirement that a single dollar reaches public safety.
Who bears the cost: Because parcel taxes are flat fees, they fall hardest on lower-value properties.
Oakland Report found the burden falls up to 48% harder on East Oakland homeowners than Rockridge residents as a share of home value.
And renters aren’t exempt — landlords typically pass the costs on to tenants.
In a recent survey, 75% of Black Oaklanders said what they pay isn’t worth what the city delivers.
Misdirection: The Yes on E campaign quoted Alameda County Treasurer Henry Levy in the official county voter guide saying Measure E will “lower tax rates for a majority of homeowners.” Now Levy might be walking back that claim.
When an Oakland resident asked Levy to back up the claim, he admitted in writing he was still “trying to figure out” whether it was accurate.
A Public Records Act request for documents supporting the claim came back empty.
There is no language anywhere in the official Measure E text guaranteeing that taxes go down for anyone, despite it being a central talking point for the campaign.
What others are saying: The East Bay Times and the League of Women Voters of Oakland both recommend voting no on Measure E.
The East Bay Times called it another broken promise and said “just give us more money” is not a plan.
The League of Women Voters cited weak oversight, no public legislative process, and spending language so broad the oversight commission has little real authority.
Bottom line: Voting no is not anti-public safety. It’s the only lever voters have left to keep the city accountable.
Oakland already has funding for positions it can’t fill and commitments it won’t keep.
The city could come back this fall with a stronger measure, with binding commitments, genuine oversight, real consequences for failure.
But first, voters have to let them know that Measure E isn’t the answer.
Mayor Lee and city council members are holding a series of community budget education sessions this month.
Show up and speak out to keep city hall accountable to a budget that reflects the taxes we already pay and is aligned with want our community actually needs.
May 18 with Mayor Barbara Lee and Councilmember Charlene Wang at Lincoln Recreation Center
May 28 with Mayor Barbara Lee and Councilmember Janani Ramachandran at Imani Community Church
More info at www.oaklandca.gov/budget.
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