We did it -- I am so proud of us, Oakland! 

After two years of organizing, research, and consensus-building, Council voted to put my Progressive Business Tax on the November ballot. 

My proposal with CMs Fife, Thao, and Kalb will raise nearly $22M in new revenue annually for critical city services, relieve our smallest businesses, and ensure Oakland's long-term economic health. 

Learn more in our press release and the East Bay Times.

Thank you to the many groups -- across Oakland neighborhoods, our business community, labor unions and inside City Hall -- who have worked with us to get here. I look forward to getting out the vote with you to ensure we get these much needed resources to our city!

Did you get your ballot for the June 7th Primary Election? I did. I am supporting Rebecca Kaplan for Alameda County Supervisor and I hope you will too. 

Read more about Rebecca and other resources for the election. 

The heartbreaking violence in our neighborhoods — particularly, recent tragedies at Lake Merritt in the Lakeshore cul-de-sac — cannot be tolerated.

We all deserve to feel safe in our public parks and neighborhoods across the city.

Earlier this month, we lost a community member and beloved brother to many, Muhammad Magbool, to violence at the Lakeshore cul-de-sac. 

Please join me in supporting Muhammad's family to lay him to rest and heal from this tragic loss. Muhammad leaves behind his mother Rosalind, brother Naazir and nephew, who misses his after-school buddy. They need our community's support right now.

Dear Neighbors,

The senseless violence in our neighborhoods will not be tolerated. We all deserve to feel safe. I called for immediate action last week, like many of you, and I'm writing to share an update on our efforts at the Lakeshore Cul-de-sac. We have been working together with the City Administrator's Office, OPD, OakDOT, and other departments through the City's Lake Merritt Working Group to address your concerns and suggestions, and take short-term action as well as make longer-term changes to improve safety in the area.

Efforts this past week have included: increased patrols and having officers visit and use the area for remote lineups and report reviews. OPD also posted temporary “no parking” signs and a variable message sign on the cul-de-sac, warning drivers that the overnight parking restriction that is in effect from 2AM to 6AM will be strictly enforced.

This weekend, OPD will deploy additional resources as they are available to address overnight parking in the cul-de-sac. Beginning as soon as next week, the Oakland Department of Transportation (OakDOT) will remove the “no overnight parking signs,” reduce the number of parking spaces, and install brighter lighting as quickly as possible using existing violence prevention funding.

Please see the update below for more information.

Thank you for your partnership as we work together to make our community safer and ensure safe, accessible and equitable use of our public spaces for all.

Sincerely, 

Nikki Fortunato Bas
Council President + District 2 Councilmember

We are thrilled to announce that our advocacy and budget wins are moving forward in the next two weeks to address critical public safety issues and human trafficking in San Antonio! 

This coming Monday, April 25th, OakDOT crews will begin work to upgrade and convert the existing street lighting with new, higher wattage LED lights on E 15th St. and by May 6th, seven (7) new speed bumps will be installed on E 15th St. from E 15th Ave. to 22nd Ave. 

I wish you and yours who celebrate a peaceful Easter, Passover and Ramadan. 

These past weeks, we have lost more lives to gun violence, including in the Lakeshore cul-de-sac and San Antonio neighborhood. 

My condolences go out to their loved ones, and my support to neighbors impacted by this incident and past traumas.

These senseless acts must not be tolerated — we all deserve safe neighborhoods.

We need gun control reform at the national level, and we must continue our work in Oakland to get illegal and ghost guns off our streets. I remain committed to greater investment into:

• accountable, neighborhood-based policing;
• effective investigations that solve crimes;
• alternative crisis response;
• violence prevention through violence interrupters, outreach workers, and mentors, as well as
• root cause investments — stable housing and good jobs.

I'm thrilled to introduce a new, talented member of my District 2 team, Debra Israel!

Debra will be leading on community engagement, working with residents and small businesses to address challenges and improve our community. She brings deep experience in neighborhood organizing and relationship-building, as well as working in government and with youth and families.

Happy Women’s History Month and belated International Women's Day!

March brings the spring season with renewed life and warmth, and reminds me of the many women, sisters, daughters, and mothers who've made our communities more loving and just, not only in Oakland but in communities everywhere.

Let's take time to show gratitude to the women who support and lead us everyday into a more just and equitable future. Shoutout to my fierce women colleagues on Council and my own District 2 team — an all woman team, past and present!

My heart, solidarity and commitment are with the women impacted by war, burying loved ones and fleeing their homelands in Ukraine, Yemen, Palestine and the rest of the global south.

On February 17th, City Council debated the Howard Terminal Ballpark Project.

Hundreds of Oaklanders spoke to the project’s promise of economic opportunity and keeping the A’s in Oakland, as well as the threat of further displacement and environmental injustice to West Oakland and Chinatown, and serious risks to our Port economy and workers.

Let me be clear: for me to ultimately approve this project, it must deliver meaningful and enforceable community benefits for impacted communities; traffic and environmental mitigations; deeply affordable housing; local, quality jobs; protections for our Port; and be fiscally responsible for Oakland taxpayers.

This is why my Community Benefits resolution with Vice Mayor Kaplan and Councilmember Kalb is so critical. Our approved resolution reaffirms these commitments and directs the City Administration to codify community benefits for a range of urgent, outstanding issues to ensure our community’s needs are met in negotiations with the A’s owners and with the Port and other agencies.

Watch a quick video on what you need to know about the project moving forward.