Oakland city administrator bringing her tenure to end
Oakland City Administrator Sabrina Landreth — who has clashed with City Council members over the budget and other issues — announced Wednesday that she will step down from her position in March.
Landreth’s last day is March 11. The city will hire a consultant during the transition period.
“It was always my expectation that once the organization achieved the muscle memory that would far outlast my tenure, it would be the right time to go, and because of your work, I feel we have reached that positive point,” Landreth said in an email sent to staff obtained by The Chronicle.
“The City is in a good place, and I am confident that the momentum we have built will continue long into the future. And rest assured, you are in good hands with the outstanding leadership team we have in place,” she said.
Karen Boyd, a spokeswoman for the city administrator’s office, declined to comment on why Landreth is leaving.
In July 2015, Landreth took over as city administrator after Mayor Libby Schaaf named her as top choice for the job.
At the time, Landreth was working as the city manager in Emeryville. Prior to that, Landreth served as Oakland’s deputy city administrator, working to restructure the budget during the 2008 housingmarket crash.
“Sabrina has guided Oakland through some of our most complex challenges with a stable and competent hand. She leads with a fierce dedication to public service, extreme professionalism, and with the highest integrity,” Schaaf said in a statement. “I will miss her as a confidant and colleague, and as a great collaborator who shared every step in this journey over the last five years to make Oakland a better city for all residents and employees.”
Landreth’s announcement comes after a tumultuous year with the City Council. During the city’s budget negotiations, Landreth said Council President Rebecca Kaplan’s budget proposal was “too flawed to fix.”
At the time, Landreth said Kaplan’s proposal inflated revenue projections and, if adopted, could result in layoffs, a hiring freeze and a $58.7 million deficit for the city. She criticized Kaplan for not consulting the city’s Finance Department before presenting her proposal.
Less than two weeks ago, Landreth accused City Council members of being “complicit” when audience members yelled at a staff member during a public meeting. Landreth blamed the elected leaders for remaining silent during the incident.
The incident occurred during a special committee meeting on homelessness. Joe DeVries, an assistant to the city administrator, was scheduled to give an informational report on the city’s encampment management policy. Before he made his presentation, advocates called him a “murderer” and attempted to block him from leaving the room.
Landreth told council members that their silence during the interaction was “deafening,” according to an email obtained by The Chronicle. She urged the council to issue a formal apology to the staff and make a statement regarding the council code of conduct and rules of procedure for the public at the next meeting.
Kaplan told The Chronicle that she called DeVries privately to discuss the matter, and that she plans to have council members participate in additional training.
“I have asked that we bring in a professional trainer to bring us additional tips on how to run a meeting,” Kaplan said. “I think there is no reason we can’t be moving forward in a more harmonious and effective way, and I really look forward to that.”
Vice Mayor Larry Reid said he thinks that the clashes with the council played a “small part” in Landreth’s decision to leave.
“When she took the job five years ago, she didn’t say, I want to be the city administrator for the rest of my life,” Reid said. “So I certainly respect putting her own time frame. But we’ve made it challenging.
We’ve made it difficult for her to do her job, and I certainly hope that the council doesn’t do that with the next city administrator. It’s a great loss.”
In her announcement to staff Wednesday, Landreth said she was “proud to have served alongside you all, in good times and hard times, knowing the depth of your commitment to service and your extraordinary efforts to apply your individual talents and skills to make this City the best it can be.”
Schaaf will appoint the next city administrator, and her appointment must be approved by the City Council.