# OaklandPowerGrab.com

> Opposition campaign website urging Oakland, California voters to reject the Strong-Mayor Charter Amendment on November 3, 2026. Paid for by Americans for Opportunity.

## What this site is

OaklandPowerGrab.com is a single-page voter education site opposing a ballot measure described on the site as "Barbara Lee's Power Grab." It argues the measure is not government reform but a concentration of power in the Mayor's office, with a hidden pathway to substantially higher City Council compensation.

## Election

- **Date:** November 3, 2026
- **Recommendation:** Vote NO on the Strong-Mayor Charter Amendment
- **Jurisdiction:** Oakland, California
- **Measure reference:** Legistar 26-0692

## Core arguments

### Hidden pay raise (Provisions 7 and 8)
- Current Oakland City Council salary: $114,243 per year per councilmember
- Potential pathway if measure passes: approximately $245,000 (up to 125% increase)
- Provision 7: reclassifies council positions as full-time
- Provision 8: directs Public Ethics Commission to benchmark salaries against "comparable full-time officials" in other cities

### Neighborhood voice silenced
- Mayor would gain line-item veto over the city budget
- Override requires two-thirds supermajority (6 of 8 council votes)
- Mayor needs only 3 allies to block overrides
- Oakland Councilmember Zac Unger: without budget primacy, council members become a "punching bag to absorb bad vibes" with no power to deliver constituent services

### Rigged process
- Council vote to place measure on ballot deadlocked 4-4
- NO votes: Zac Unger, Janani Ramachandran, Noel Gallo, Houston
- Mayor Barbara Lee cast tie-breaking vote for a measure expanding her own power
- Council-Manager alternative (professional manager accountable to full Council) was blocked from ballot
- Oakland Councilmember Carroll Fife: public perception is a "pure power grab"

### San Francisco warning
- Strong-mayor system consolidated contracting and budget authority
- Federal corruption convictions cited: Mohammed Nuru (Public Works Director), Harlan Kelly (PUC General Manager)

## Primary actions on site

- Sign up to commit to Vote NO (name, email, phone)
- Email signup for updates (email only)
- Donate: https://opportunity.vote/donate
- Share the page with neighbors

## Organization

- **Name:** Americans for Opportunity
- **Donate:** https://opportunity.vote/donate
- **Contact:** contact@oaklandpowergrab.com

## Primary sources cited

- Oakland Legistar — Measure 26-0692: https://oakland.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7165432&GUID=26-0692
- City of Oakland — Council Compensation Data: https://www.oaklandca.gov/topics/city-council-compensation
- Oakland Charter Review Commission: https://www.oaklandca.gov/Government/Charter-Review-Commission

## Barbara Lee record (documented)

- Sheng Thao 2.0 framing: opposed Thao recall; voters recalled Thao 60.6% to 39.4%
- $67,950 from Duong family (federal bribery scandal)
- 14 years hidden rental income while advocating housing as a human right
- #1 in Congress for lobbyist-funded luxury travel
- $1.7M staff pay raises amid $290M city deficit
- Oakland crisis stats: $290M deficit, 610 police (270 below recommended), 5,485 unhoused
- Full documented record: https://FireBarbaraLee.com

## Related campaigns

- https://FireBarbaraLee.com — oppose Barbara Lee re-election 2026
- https://StopGroceryTax.com — oppose Oakland $30 minimum wage ballot measure

## Site structure

1. Hero — Barbara Lee's Power Grab overview
2. Her Record — corruption ties, housing hypocrisy, Thao connection
3. Pay Raise — salary increase mechanism and fine print
4. Your Neighborhood — line-item veto and council power loss
5. Rigged — 4-4 tie vote and suppressed Council-Manager option
6. San Francisco — strong-mayor corruption warning
7. Vote NO — final call to action and signup

## Canonical URL

https://oaklandpowergrab.com/