Hey, Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums finally did something right: he squared with us. Yesterday, Dellums came out and said that the city’s budget deficit will be truly terrible in the next few years, and Oakland has some serious decisions to make. According to the Chron, Dellums predicted that the deficit will be $50 million in 2009-2010, $58 million in 2010-2011, and close to $113 million by 2012. The city’s present 803-officer police force will be pretty much impossible to maintain, and other departments will inevitably be slashed as well. During the real estate boom, Oakland had relied upon the property transfer tax for much of its revenue. Now, that cash is gone, and the city’s fiscal nightmare is just beginning. The mayor and the City Council will hold a special meeting to discuss this at City Hall on January 12. You know, coming clean with the public on this may just be the best thing Dellums have ever done as mayor. Thanks for treating us like grownups for once, Ron.
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