Steven Falk, the former Oakland city administrator described by the San Francisco Chronicle as the driving force behind changing Oakland's charter, now says he will vote against Measure EE, the strong-mayor amendment on the Nov. 3 ballot. Falk told the Chronicle that the federal corruption trial of former Mayor Sheng Thao is "a stark reminder in real time of everything that can go wrong with a strong-mayor system." Falk worked for three months as city administrator under Thao and is on the prosecution's witness list.

What EE would do

The measure would let the mayor exercise management authority over city departments, including appointing, disciplining and removing department heads and employees under the mayor's jurisdiction. Today a professional city administrator runs operations. The Chronicle noted that 477 of California's 482 cities use a professional manager, and that San Francisco is the only other Bay Area city with a strong mayor. For a full breakdown, see our Measure EE explainer.

Falk's argument

"Measure EE proposes to supercharge the mayor's powers at the exact moment when the former mayor is on trial for corruptly using the powers that she has," Falk said. He acknowledged that Thao could have done what she is accused of under any system, but argued that power spread across a council is harder to corrupt than power held by one person. He also said his opposition is not aimed at Mayor Barbara Lee. Thao has pleaded not guilty.

Others on the council

The council split 4-4 on putting EE on the ballot, with Lee breaking the tie, the Chronicle reported. Councilmember Janani Ramachandran voted no but has not taken a position in the campaign. If EE fails, she said, "you can be sure that the council-manager option will be on the ballot in two years." Councilmember Zac Unger, who also voted no, warned that council members would become "the face of futility" under a strong mayor.

What voters are saying

The Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce's annual poll found 71% of likely voters support EE, including 47% who said they would definitely vote yes, with 15% opposed. The FM3 Research survey of 720 likely voters was taken Oct. 10–18, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.7 points. The same poll found 68% view Lee favorably, and The Oaklandside reported that 52% view the City Council as a whole unfavorably. We covered the rest of the poll in our earlier story.

How to vote

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls and vote centers close at 8 p.m., and mailed ballots must be postmarked by Election Day and arrive within seven days. You can check your registration and ballot status at sos.ca.gov/elections. California lets you register and vote the same day at a vote center.

More races and measures: our 2026 election hub.