New Oakland City Administrator Has Her Work Cut Out For Her
OAKLAND (KCBS) – There won't be a honeymoon period for Oakland's new city administrator, who faces a $58 million deficit that is expected to grow next year.
Deanna Santana, 40, started her career 16 years ago as a management intern at Oakland City Hall, eventually becoming San Jose's deputy city manager. She brings with her the unanimous backing of the mayor and the Oakland City Council, which has just over a week left to close the massive budget deficit for the coming year.
KCBS' Holly Quan Reports:
The $58 million deficit isn't as bad as what Santana was faced with in San Jose, where the deficit reached into the triple digits.
"Oakland is at a critical state, where the decisions that it makes today can really impact the future," said Santana. "I think that like any other city, there are really big challenges out there. In terms of getting our hands around this budget, it feels like it's really possible with the right policy decisions, but I think it's something that also needs to be well prepared for and well managed over the next couple of months."
Santana starts August 1st, when Oakland predicts the deficit will have grown to $76 million.
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