ANNUAL SURVEY NOW OPEN: Submit Your Response to Our 2026-27 Community Oversight Priorities Survey Before August 7th

Got 5 minutes to share your concerns?

We need YOUR help to develop our 2026-27 Audit Work Plan. We are asking community members to take our 2026-27 Community Oversight Priorities survey to identify areas in City government Oaklanders want to see audited.

In the year that has passed since our last Community Oversight Priorities survey, our Office issued audits on illegal dumping, the Revenue Bureau’s business tax collection process, the Oakland Police Department’s oversight agencies, and police emergency response times. These audits addressed some of the highest risks that were significant concerns for businesses, residents, and City staff. You can read all of our published audits and investigations, here.

The survey will close on August 7th so don’t delay—share your input today!

NEW RELEASE:  Performance Audit of the Vacant Property Tax: Defined Goals, Reporting, and Oversight Needed to Align Expenditures with Priority Goals

On July 9th, our Office published a new audit report of the City’s Vacant Property Tax, passed by Oakland voters as Measure W in 2018.

The audit found that the City appears to effectively identify many of the City’s vacant properties. However, from FY 2020-21 through FY 2024-25, 66 percent of Vacant Property Tax revenue was spent on illegal dumping, while only 4 percent of tax revenue went to the Housing and Community Development Department (HCD). Although this spending meets the tax’s legal requirements, it may not align with community expectations. The tax needs measurable metrics and baselines to assess its performance in meeting the goals of the tax: reducing vacancy and addressing blight and homelessness.

The audit also found that the City’s Commission on Homelessness, the tax’s oversight body, has not yet published annual reports on the tax’s outcomes and recommended spending priorities. Furthermore, the City has not yet produced annual reports detailing revenues, expenditures, and the status of projects funded by the tax, as required by state law.

Lastly, the audit found that the design of the tax limits revenue and its effectiveness at incentivizing the development or use of vacant properties. You can read the full report here.

NEW RELEASE: Oakland’s 2025-26 Ethical Climate Survey Results Are In 

This week, my Office released the results from the City of Oakland’s Ethical Climate Survey (2025-26). This informational report gauges the City of Oakland’s ethical climate and its capacity for ethical decision-making, both at the organizational and individual level. The survey was developed by the Institute for Local Government and my Office invited City employees to take it at the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026. A total of 555 employees completed the survey.

Overall, the survey found that the City of Oakland has room for improvement with an overall score of 222 out of 300. In addition, 178 employees provided open-ended responses which gave specific insights into how they see our ethical climate and ways to improve it. For example, respondents suggested ways the City could improve its ethical culture by increasing management and supervisor accountability, enhancing organizational transparency and communication, and addressing City Council conduct and governance.

For more details on the survey findings, my team and I invite you to read the report.