Phil Matier: Oakland Mayor-Elect Libby Schaaf Talks About City's Numerous Challenges
OAKLAND (KPIX 5) -- Libby Schaaf may be the new face of Oakland - but she is certainly facing the same set of problems.
KPIX 5 asked the Mayor-Elect what kind of concrete change Oakland is going to see. "A laser focus on public safety," Schaaf said.
The Mayor-Elect said fighting crime will require more stability, both in City Hall and at police headquarters, which brings us to the current chief.
"And to date, Sean Whent has done a good job," Schaaf said.
As for Oakland's financial challenges, Schaaf wants to capitalize on the city's boom of young newcomers, but she is also wary of how that boom is affecting San Francisco.
"Unlike San Francisco we are physically twice as big and we're starting out with half the population. I love growth, I love revitalization, but I'm not going to sell the soul of my city to do it," the Mayor-Elect said.
Then there's the future of professional sports. Schaaf said public money should not go in keeping the Raiders in Oakland.
When asked about Oakland's recent struggles with anarchists and violent protesters, Schaaf said, "We cannot tolerate people holding our downtown hostage."
That stands in contrast with her mayoral race opponents Jean Quan and Rebecca Kaplan who famously faced off with police during a wild night of street violence.
"Clearly, my election represents a generational shift in the city's leadership. Let me be real. I'm a lover, not a fighter. I am not about confrontation, blame or anger. I'm about trying to find the common ground, being very thoughtful, and being very results-driven," Schaaf said.
Schaaf will be sworn in early next year.
