Election Day results: Bauters leads Alameda County supervisors race

(Update: When the votes were certified on Dec. 5, Nikki Fortunato Bas was declared the winner, by 425 votes.) Emeryville City Council member John Bauters was ahead of Oakland City Council President Nikki Fortunato Bas in the Alameda County supervisors race, early vote tallies showed Tuesday night. Both candidates promised to prioritize housing, homelessness, and public safety. They are running for the seat that Keith Carson has held since 1992. He announced in December that he would be retiring.   The seat…

Oakland voters asked to support a property tax increase to keep millions of dollars in public safety funding

Oakland voters are being asked to consider a measure on the ballot that would increase property taxes as a way to fund public safety and crime prevention programs. But to understand Measure NN, you need to know about Measure Z, the voter-approved action that has been doing this since 2015. Measure Z is set to expire on Dec 31, which is why Measure NN is being put to the voters. It would extend the support Measure Z has provided, while…

Oakland renews controversial gunshot detection system

After several hours of debate, the Oakland City Council voted Tuesday to renew its contract with ShotSpotter, a gunshot detection technology system. The council renewed the $2.5 million contract for one year to start, instead of three, because of concerns about a lack of data and the city’s strained budget. But if the City Council does not make changes to the contract next year, it will automatically renew for the full three years.  It was approved by a 7-1 vote,…