Schaaf calls Brooks toxic to Oakland City Council
Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf excoriated City Councilwoman Desley Brooks on Friday, casting her as an abusive figure whose antics have hurt the reputation of city government and cost taxpayers millions of dollars.
Schaaf ’s remarks were some of her harshest to date as mayor, including her criticisms of President Trump. Schaaf made the comments a day after her longtime City Council ally Annie Campbell Washington, citing an element of “corruption” in the council, said she would not seek re-election this fall.
“No one is expected to agree on everything, but to stage dramas in our chambers — to turn it into a theater of abuse — is not serving our city,” Schaaf said. “It’s unfair to paint with a broad brush of dysfunction every member of the council . ... I think it is important to call out the individual who is most responsible for creating dysfunction, drama and abuse.”
Brooks did not respond to requests for comment.
Schaaf said Brooks has engaged in “unethical” behavior that has led to a “ripple effect that really has infected the civility of the council chambers.” And she said it was “sad” that Campbell Wash-
ington felt she could accomplish more away from City Hall than within it.
“The City Council could get wonderful things done in a way that is uplifting for our community and not destructive if there were a different environment,” Schaaf said. “And without question, the person most responsible — not solely responsible, but most responsible — for creating that toxic environment is Councilmember Brooks.”
A jury in Alameda County Superior Court awarded ex-Black Panther leader Elaine Brown $3.75 million in damages last year for injuries she suffered when Brooks pushed her during an argument in a downtown restaurant. Attorneys for the city are continuing to fight the judgment.
But if Brown prevails and the city has to pay her legal fees as well, Oakland could be stuck with an additional $1 million payout.
Brooks has also created a firestorm among city government watchdogs by putting forth a proposal that would divert millions in public funds from voter-approved projects such as street repairs and park improvements and give them to several private job-training organizations that have backed her.
Brooks is adept at rallying support when she needs it and recently called herself “the mostloved member of the Oakland City Council” during a vote on a rulechange item that she perceived would be used to dethrone her as chair of the Public Safety Committee — a move that has yet to happen. She has won the backing of some progressives through clashing with the Police Department and advocating racial equity programs.
On Tuesday, Brooks encouraged dozens of trainees of the job organizations and members of a union that would benefit from the proposal to pack a committee meeting in City Hall where the legislation was on the agenda. The attendance in the hearing room exceeded capacity and the meeting had to be moved to the
larger council chambers, but the item ended up being pulled on the advice of a city attorney.
Schaaf said the proposal — “with an end goal we all support” — was an example of “the toxicity and the deception” practiced by Brooks.
“To bring it forward in a way that creates discord, distrust ... to raise the hopes of residents that something like this can get done when the actual basis of the proposal is not possible under existing law,” Schaaf said, “is deceptive to residents and it is harmful to our democracy and our local government.”
Kimberly Veklerov is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kveklerov @sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kveklerov