The City Auditor’s estimated total first-year cost. Ongoing costs would be subject to inflation. Actual spending would depend on the decisions made to carry out the measure.
What is included?
The City Auditor’s July 8, 2026 analysis separates two main cost areas:
| Component | Auditor’s estimate |
|---|---|
| Council salary and benefit increases | $36,000–$108,000 per member; $288,000–$867,000 across the Council in the first year |
| Independent Budget and Legislative Analyst Office | Approximately $1.7–$1.8 million in staffing and overhead |
| Mayor’s salary and benefits | No significant increase estimated |
Most of the estimated cost is for the analyst office, with one lead analyst, three analysts, and one administrative assistant. The remaining cost area is Council salary and benefit increases. Read the Auditor’s complete two-page report.
How would salaries be set?
The measure would change the Public Ethics Commission’s salary-setting criteria for the mayor and Councilmembers, beginning in 2027. Actual amounts would depend on the Commission’s decisions; the measure itself does not specify a fixed raise. Proposed Charter §§ 202, 300.
The Auditor’s figures include both salary and benefits. For comparison, the Public Ethics Commission’s March 18, 2026 resolution set Councilmembers’ annual salary at $114,243.13, effective the first payroll period of fiscal year 2026–27. That salary excludes benefits, so dividing the Auditor’s combined salary-and-benefit estimate by it would overstate a like-for-like percentage increase. Read the adopted salary resolution.
How we weigh the costs
An independent analyst could strengthen Council oversight. Oakland should consider what that office would deliver and how its recurring costs would fit alongside other city needs. Supporting better budget scrutiny does not require accepting the rest of this charter package.
We think voters should consider the costs together with the changes in governing authority. Our concern is whether the overall package provides the checks and accountability Oakland needs for the money it would spend.
Source checked September 29, 2026: City Auditor Michael C. Houston, Financial Analysis of the Mayor’s Charter Reform Ballot Measure, July 8, 2026. Estimates are rounded as in the original report, so the individual ranges need not sum exactly to the overall range.