City of Oakland Measure EE — Charter Amendment Measure (Alameda County)

What it does

Shall the measure to amend Oakland's City Charter to, among other things, (1) make the Mayor the City's chief executive with a legislative veto, (2) empower the Council to override vetoes, confirm appointments of certain directors, and appoint an Independent Budget and Legislative Analyst, (3) affirm Councilmembers' right to acquire information from other City officials, (4) require Councilmembers to work full-time, and (5) empower the Public Ethics Commission to set salaries for all City elected officials using similar formulas, be adopted?

A YES vote means

Oakland's charter would make the Mayor chief executive with a veto the Council can override, let the Council confirm certain directors and appoint a budget analyst, require full-time Councilmembers, and have the Ethics Commission set elected officials' salaries, among other changes.

A NO vote means

Oakland's charter would not be changed in these ways.

Needed to pass

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Left–right lean

Not a left–right issue: a procedural or local question that liberals and conservatives don't typically split on (AI read of the official ballot summary).

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Background

According to Mayor Barbara Lee's May 7, 2026 staff report, Oakland's Charter blends strong-mayor and council-manager elements, and her Charter Reform Working Group, co-facilitated by the League of Women Voters of Oakland and SPUR and convened in August 2025, recommended a 'strong mayor, strong council' model.

The resolution would make the Mayor chief executive officer, give the Council confirmation of the Finance, Human Resources, Public Works and Transportation directors, an Independent Budget and Legislative Analyst, and subpoena power, create a mayoral veto (including a line-item budget veto) that the Council can override, require Councilmembers to work full time without outside employment, and let the Public Ethics Commission align elected officials' salaries with comparable full-time officials.

On June 16, 2026 the Council tied 4-4 on adopting the resolution as amended (Aye: Brown, Fife, Wang, Jenkins; No: Gallo, Houston, Ramachandran, Unger), and Mayor Lee cast the tie-breaking vote in favor, according to the meeting minutes.

Put on the ballot by Oakland City Council, 4–4 with Mayor Lee breaking the tie, June 16, 2026 (Resolution No. 91209 C.M.S.).

From official source 1, official source 2, official source 3, official source 4.

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Also on Alameda County ballots

• City of Alameda Measure L — GO Bond Measure
• City of Alameda Measure M — Charter Amendment - Amend And Repeal Outdated Provisions
• City of Alameda Measure N — Charter Amendment - Leases And Sales Of Real Property Measure
• City of Albany Measure O — Requirement To Zoning Changes Measure
• City of Albany Measure P — Street Paving And Storm Drain Parcel Tax Measure
• City of Albany Measure Q — EMS, ALS, Fire Protection Parcel Tax Measure
• City of Albany Measure R — Business License Tax Measure
• City of Albany Measure S — Real Property Transfer Tax Measure
• City of Albany Measure T — Street Trees & Streetlighting Parcel Tax Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure U — Bond Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure V — Sales Tax Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure W — Charter Amendment Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure X — Rent Ordinance Amendment Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure Y — Initiative - Arts Tax Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure Z — Initiative - Public Bank Measure
• City of Berkeley Measure AA — Initiative - Soda Tax Measure

All Alameda County races and measures →

Quick answers

What does a YES vote on City of Oakland Measure EE mean?

Oakland's charter would make the Mayor chief executive with a veto the Council can override, let the Council confirm certain directors and appoint a budget analyst, require full-time Councilmembers, and have the Ethics Commission set elected officials' salaries, among other changes.

What does a NO vote on City of Oakland Measure EE mean?

Oakland's charter would not be changed in these ways.

How many votes does City of Oakland Measure EE need to pass?

A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.

Should I vote yes or no on City of Oakland Measure EE?

SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.

When is the vote?

The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.