Why is it so hard to get a pothole fixed in Oakland? Why is the budget always in perennial crisis? And why can’t the city put a stop to illegal trash dumping?

For many Oakland residents, it can sometimes feel like dysfunction is embedded in the city’s very DNA.

As it turns out, there’s some truth to that.

Understanding why demands a look at Oakland’s City Charter — its governing constitution.

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Many people believe Oakland has a strong mayor system of governance.

When Oakland residents elected longtime Rep. Barbara Lee as mayor in 2025, after the recall of former Mayor Sheng Thao, they were no doubt hoping for an honest and experienced hand to steady the city’s ship. But as mayor, Lee has no direct authority over most of the departments that residents rely on to keep the city running and no say over City Council legislation other than to break a tie vote. In many ways, she is a figurehead with limited powers outside the bully pulpit.

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In 1998, then-Mayor Jerry Brown pushed for changes to the charter with the intention of giving himself and future mayors more power to directly address residents’ concerns. But most of the powers Brown ultimately acquired were temporary, and Oakland residents now find themselves with an ineffectual system stuck halfway between old and new.

Measure EE would change this organizational structure to formally make the mayor the city’s chief executive with direct management authority over most city departments.

That pothole on your block that keeps destroying your tires and rims?

Right now, that burden rests with the unelected city administrator, as is true for virtually all city functions.........

© San Francisco Chronicle