Fighting recall, Mayor Sheng Thao hosts citizen town halls across Oakland

The town halls — Thao held four in the space of five days all around the city — served to highlight deeply divided opinions among Oakland residents demanding a leader to address public safety concerns including crime, illegal dumping and homelessness.

Thao is facing a recall vote in November that was organized by political opponents and certified for the ballot in June, just days before her home was raided by the FBI as part of a corruption investigation in which the mayor has not been charged.

The recall attempt, coming less than two years into Thao’s first term as mayor, suggests that many Oakland residents think immediate change in City Hall is needed. Opponents of the recall — and residents unwilling to support it — argue instead for stability at a critical moment for Oakland, underscoring the importance of giving elected officials time to demonstrate their effectiveness.

“When you are in a recall, you are running against what people think or how people think you should be doing your job, and where the city should be,” said Jim Ross, a political consultant in Oakland. “It’s basically Sheng Thao versus people’s concerns and frustrations with Oakland, which is just a really difficult situation to run against.”



https://www.sfchronicle.com/eastbay/article/fighting-recall-oakland-mayor-thao-hosts-town-19728765.php