Local government directory

Oakland, CA: council, meetings and contacts

Oakland is the 45th largest city in the United States with about 440,838 residents, in Alameda. Here is who governs it, when they meet in public, and where the agendas are posted.

City government at a glance

Form of government
Mayor-council (with city administrator)
Governing body
Oakland City Council — 8 members
Regular meetings
Published on the official city website
City Hall
1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612
Main information line
311 or (510) 615-5566
Population (2025 est.)
440,838 (2020 census: 440,646)
County
Alameda
Planning body
Oakland City Planning Commission

Seven district council members plus one at-large member; the mayor is not a member of the council.

Official links

The bodies that decide things in Oakland

BodyWhat it decidesWhere to find it
Oakland City Council Ordinances, the city budget, zoning changes, contracts, police and fire funding Official page
Alameda County Board of Supervisors County budget, sheriff and jail, public health, elections administration, county roads County website
Oakland Unified School District board School budget, boundaries, calendar, curriculum adoption, superintendent District website
Oakland City Planning Commission Rezonings, site plans, variances and long-range land use recommendations City website

Questions people ask about Oakland government

How do I contact Oakland city government?

The main information line is 311 or (510) 615-5566. City Hall is at 1 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, Oakland, CA 94612, and the official website is https://www.oaklandca.gov.

How do I speak at a Oakland public meeting?

Find the agenda for the meeting, check the sign-up deadline (many cities close the list before the meeting starts), prepare remarks for the posted time limit — usually two or three minutes — and state your name, your district and your specific ask.

No debates for Oakland yet. If something is on the council agenda — a rezoning, a fee increase, a transit change — open the first debate and invite both sides.

Start here if you are new to this