The Barbara Lee administration now has its first 16 official hires, and they include former SF City Controller Ben Rosenfeld, who held a similar transition job when Danel Lurie was sworn in as San Francisco Mayor.
It is now two weeks to the day since the Chronicle called the race and declared that Barbara Lee had won the Oakland mayoral election, with Lee herself declaring victory the next day. But the glow of victory will quickly run into the rude awakening of Oakland’s massive budget deficit and ongoing crime issues. So Lee will have to hit the ground running, and she’s trying to do just that, as the Chronicle reports Lee has named the16 hires to her new transition team.
You can see the new hires above, and these are not exactly household names. The two in the top left, Alameda AFL-CIO executive Keith Brown and Oakland Chamber of Commerce CEO Barbara Leslie, were already named to Lee’s team the weekend she declared victory. But the hiring of union and business bigwigs indicates Lee is trying to bridge progressive and moderate factions together.
San Franciscans might recognize former SF City Controller Ben Rosenfeld on there as a senior transition adviser. Rosenfeld is very well-respected, and also served on the Daniel Lurie transition team when Lurie was taking office earlier this year.
“Oaklanders demand — and deserve — transparency, accountability, and results. With the help of these dynamic leaders and residents, this is what we will deliver together,” Lee said in a statement picked up by the Chronicle. “For all of Oakland, I want to thank those who have agreed to serve — and am filled with gratitude for your leadership and support, which will help Oakland turn the next chapter.”
About that next chapter, Oaklandside points out Lee has introduced her 10-point, 100-day plan to slash the deficit, improve public safety, and root out the illegal dumping that seems to happen all over that city.
So when will Barbara Lee be sworn in as mayor and start trying to do these things? We still don’t know.
Lee’s inauguration date is still not set. The Alameda County Registrar of Voters still has to certify the vote totals, and then the Oakland City Council has to vote to accept the results. Still, it is pretty much certain this will all happen in pretty short order, and Lee will be sworn in sometime in May.
Related: Barbara Lee Declares Victory, Loren Taylor Concedes In Oakland Mayor's Race [SFist]
Image: Barbara Lee via Facebook
