Lynette Gibson McElhaney

Lynette Gibson McElhaney is a U.S. politician and member of the Oakland City Council in Oakland, California. She was elected to her first term holding the District 3 Oakland City Council seat in 2012[1] after the retirement of four-term incumbent Nancy Nadel. A 20-year leader in affordable housing with experience as an executive director for a housing nonprofit, she is known as a bridge builder and advocate that balances neighborhood needs with the need of the local economy to create jobs, expand opportunities, and increase access to retail and services for local residents[2]. In 2015, she was named one of San Francisco Business Times' "most influential women in Bay Area business".[3]

Early life and professional career

Lynette Gibson McElhaney is a first generation Californian born and raised in San Diego, a child of Southern migrants. Her father Eddie Gibson (deceased), was a union machinist and her mother Barbara Gibson (deceased), retired as a telecommunications worker[4].

Education

McElhaney holds a B.A in Political Science from University of California Berkeley. In addition to her work as an elected leader she is a mentoring member of the International John Maxwell Team, where she provides leadership development training and coaching for Fortune 500 businesses and individuals, equipping youth and adults with the skills to lead and excel through troubled times[5].

Professional career

Before completing her college degree, McElhaney began a career in affordable housing development and counseling.  She was an intern at the Oakland Neighborhood Housing Services under the tutelage of Wilbert Lee. She later interned at the City of Oakland Community and Economic Development Department (formerly the Office Housing & Neighborhood Development) working in the Emergency Housing division working on homelessness.

After leaving the City of Oakland, McElhaney began her professional career with the non-profit community development corporation Richmond Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS), serving as the Assistant to the Executive Director and Program Manager for homebuyer education.  After a brief stint as a consultant to nonprofit housing organizations, in 2001 she was appointed CEO of Richmond NHS where she oversaw rental housing, new construction and rehabilitation projects[6][4].

Elected career

McElhaney was elected President of the Oakland City Council in January 2015 on a 6-1 vote becoming the first African American woman to hold the position.[7] McElhaney is currently serving her second term on the Oakland City Council[2]

Other positions

McElhaney currently sits as the Chair of Oakland's Finance Committee. She also sits on the East Bay Economic Development Alliance Board, the Association of Bay Area Governments, and the Alameda County and Oakland Community Action Program.

Legislative career

CSEC

On June 18, 2013, McElhaney forwarded legislation created by the Oakland Youth Commission concerning CSEC Awareness and Prevention (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children)l.[8][9] The legislation lead to the creation of a CSEC task force staffed by representatives of the city, Oakland Unified School District, Oakland police Department, victims of CSEC, community-based organizations and parents. In 2016 the Oakland CSEC Task Force committed to reducing the demand for commercial sex by 20% over the next two years in collaboration with H.E.A.T. Watch and the CEASE Network (Cities Empowered Against Sexual Exploitation) as part of a multi city initiative focused on deterring buyers and cutting off sex trafficking at its financial source.  

Measure Z

In 2014 McElhaney was a key proponent in the advocacy and passage of Public Safety and Services Violence Prevention Act of 2014, commonly known as Ballot Measure Z[10]. Measure Z was proposed to extend the $22 million dollars in taxes collected by Measure Y needed for crucial violence safety and violence prevention services that were set to expire in 2014[11]. Measure Z funds police, fire, and violence prevention services that assist at-risk youth, young adults, and crime victims and passed with resounding success garnering 77.49% of the vote (needing 66.7% to pass)[12]. After its passage, McElhaney stated “I’m so grateful that the citizens have chosen to maintain these investments in police services and programs that stand in the breach for the families that are impacted by violence and provide a pathway back for those who have paid their debt to society.”[13]

Department of Violence Prevention (DVP)

Despite increases to police budgets and Measure Z services, the city was still having difficulty reducing homicides below the 5 year average of 93 a year, a problem disproportionately affecting young black men and communities of color[14]. In 2015, McElhaney personally experienced this problem when she lost her grandson, Torian Hughes, who was slain in a robbery on Mandela Parkway[15]. On a Facebook post she lamented the senseless violence by stating “the shooting throughout Oakland that followed over the past two days, only strengthen my resolve for eradicating gun violence in our city. None of us, not one of us is immune.”[16]

In an effort to rein in the violence that has plagued Oakland for years, Council President Larry Reid and McElhaney proposed the creation of a Department of Violence Prevention in 2017.[17] The DVP adopts a public health approach in its work on homicide reduction, domestic violence prevention, anti-child trafficking measures, improved prosecutions and victim assistance[15]. Included in the legislation was an "80/80/3" mandate to reduce homicides by 80 percent and produce at least an 80 percent clearance rate for homicides within three years[15][18]. The department will be on equal footing in the city's decision making structure with police and fire departments, reporting directly to the city administrator[17][18] The DVP was loosely modeled after Richmond's Office of Neighborhood Safety which accomplished a 70% reduction of homicides since its inception in 2007 and has been modeled with success by other neighboring cities like Stockton and San Francisco[17][15].

The proposal faced stiff opposition. Council member Desley Brooks accusing McElhaney of “playing on people’s emotions.”[19] The city administrator's report found that the creation of the new department could cost $945,411, almost four times more than the proponents had assumed[19]. Other council members joined Brooks in proposing a blue-ribbon commission with the potential of :shelving the department all together."[14]

On June 20 2017, the City Council voted in favor of the DVP with a 6-1 vote. Six months after being hired, the new chief of violence prevention will present possible actions to the city council[18].

Compassionate Communities

In mid-October 2016, McElhaney and Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson began the Compassionate Communities Pilot with the aim of first providing better quality of living and hygienic conditions then housing opportunities for 40 homeless encampment residents under the 580 Freeway on Magnolia St[20]. A 2015 “Point in Time” tally counted almost 2,200 homeless people in Oakland, three fourths of which live in McElhaney’s district which includes Downtown and West Oakland.[21][22]

The Compassionate Communities Pilot marked a strategy shift from camp abatements to a different approach of viewing the "homeless as constituents to be served, not problems to be solved"[20]. The Compassionate Communities Pilot, billed at $190,000, brought services like waste pickup, porta-potties, a mobile health clinic, large concrete barriers to the encampment along with social services and relief employees to help residents of the camp find permanent housing. Proponents of the project believed that with a reliable and sanitary place to pitch their tents, unsheltered residents could have more time and energy to find a more stable place to live[23].

Initially, the program provoked backlash from critics in the community, some worried that the sanctioned camp would attract and encourage people to stay longer and others suggesting the money was better spent on housing[24]. Community meetings with both sheltered and unsheltered residents helped lead to a better perception, especially as assurances were made that this was a temporary solution[25]. According to Alex Marqusee, McElhaney’s policy analyst, “Most of the homeless people in Oakland are residents who grew up nearby…when they get to know each other, a lot of the reservations are gone because neighbors realized these are people from the community.”[20] The Evileye, an Emeryville community news publication, reported that "most West Oakland residents noted a mostly positive outcome when contacted via Nextdoor.com" with camp residents also showing appreciation for the services and improved security.[25]

On May 2017, the city cleared the camp following a fire with McElhaney commenting that the fire "was a devastating blow to what has been the City/County's initiative to open up new possibilities for improved service delivery."[26] By that time, 24 of the original 40 residents found housing with city workers saying providing services helped get residents more engaged with case managers[27].

Recommendations from the Ella Baker Center for Human Rights 2017 report “Public Safety Begins with Public Health” included “expand[ing] emergency housing options like the Compassionate Communities pilot program to allow for development and maintenance of additional homeless encampments.”[28] Oakland's current outdoor navigation centers utilizing Tuff Sheds to provide emergency housing was inspired by the Compassionate Communities Pilot. [29]

Adoption of "Love Life" as Oakland's Motto

McElhaney worked with Donald Lacy of the Love Life Foundation to convince the Oakland City Council to adopt “Love Life” as its official motto[30].The motto honors Donald Lacy’s 16-year-old daughter, LoEshe Lacy, as well as other victims of violence. It was inspired by LoEshe’s name, which translates to “Love Life” in a Nigerian dialect, as well as the anti-violence campaign she began[31]. Both hoped that adopting “Love Life” would “send a clear message that honors residents who have lost their lives to gun violence and speak hope and healing to the communities of residents who are dedicated to living robust lives,” while promoting “higher ideas of love, decency, and respect.” [32] On April 5th Oakland City Council voted 5-3 to approve the resolution. The motto has been added to “Welcome to Oakland” signs that greet visitors entering the city.[33]

Ethics charges

McElhaney has been under investigation by Oakland's newly formed Public Ethics Commission (PEC) over her involvement in blocking a multi-unit housing project next door to her home. A commission staff report alleged that McElhaney sought free professional help from an architectural firm, JRDV Urban International, worth $800 to oppose the project. McElhaney failed to report the assistance as a gift to a public official, and meanwhile took part in council votes to extend and expand JRDV’s city contracts.[34] In an annual June report, The Alameda County Civil Grand Jury had found that Gibson McElhaney used her political resources to block the development, violating government ethics and conflict of interest rules. [35]

Following a failure to submit documents to the PEC since July 2016, on October 2016, the Public Ethics Commission filed a suit asking Gibson McElhaney to release documents.[36]On August 2017, the PEC voted to send the matter to an administrative law judge to hear McElhaney’s and the commission’s arguments and create a recommendation of how the PEC should proceed.[34] The judge recommended a $8,625 penalty stating that her failure to comply with the subpoena and other conduct amounted to "aggravating factors" and a refusal to cooperate.[37] McElhaney claimed her failure to respond at that time was due her grieving the death of her grandson.[38] The PEC ultimately levied a drastically reduced fine of $2,550 after a show of support from her constituents and supports as well as hours of comments.[38]

According to McElhaney, her neighbors had brought the issue to her and that the City Attorney’s Office had guided her through the process. She viewed the architect’s work not as a personal gift but as a service to residents of her district stating “the community felt that our concerns were being ignored so I asked a local respected architect for help on this specific technical question. If I had thought asking the architect for help could implicate the ethics laws, I of course would not have done so. [39] While accepting the reduced fine, McElhaney shared appreciation with the commissioners but also remarked that she thought the years long probe was a waste of public money stating "It still feels unfair but it's far less egregious."[38]

References
  1. Mark Anderson; Theresa Adams (November 13, 2012). "New faces join Oakland City Council, School Board ranks". Oakland Local.
  2. "District 3 Councilmember". City of Oakland. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
  3. "Influential Women in Business 2015". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
  4. "District 3 Homepage | District 3 – Lynette Gibson McElhaney | City of Oakland | California". www2.oaklandnet.com. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  5. "District 3 Councilmember". City of Oakland. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  6. "Secretary Anna M. Caballero, California State & Consumer Services Agency – to keynote the NHS 32nd Anniversary East Bay Leadership Awards Luncheon". Richmond Chamber of Commerce. 2013-10-28. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  7. "Oakland City Council elected first-term Councilwoman Gibson McElhaney president". The Mercury News. 2015-01-06. Retrieved 2019-02-05.
  8. Mary (2016-06-18). "Oakland City Council President Lynette McElhaney speaks on OPD pedophile scandal – now with full transcript". San Francisco Bay View. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  9. "City of Oakland - File #: 12-0586". oakland.legistar.com. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  10. "Measure Z continues to prompt discussion over public safety funding". Oakland North. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  11. "Guest commentary: Measure Z needs to be passed". East Bay Times. 2014-10-28. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  12. "Measure Z: Fund police, fire and violence prevention services - Alameda County, CA". www.smartvoter.org. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  13. by (2014-11-06). "City Passes Z for Public Safety, N for Schools, FF for $12.25 Minimum Wage". Oakland Post. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  14. Canon, Gabrielle. "Oakland City Council Passes Divisive Proposal to Establish Violence Prevention Department". East Bay Express. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  15. "Can a new Oakland department reduce violence?". East Bay Times. 2017-04-21. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  16. FOX. "Oakland city councilwoman's grandson shot and killed". KTVU. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  17. "Oakland creates Department of Violence Prevention". East Bay Times. 2017-06-30. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  18. by (2017-06-23). "Oakland City Council Adopts New Department of Violence Prevention". Oakland Post. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  19. Canon, Gabrielle. "Oakland Officials Are Divided Over a Proposal to Create a New Department of Violence Prevention". East Bay Express. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  20. "City of Oakland approaches deadline to find housing for homeless living in encampment". Oakland North. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  21. "Oakland weighs shifting homeless camp into housing". East Bay Times. 2016-12-01. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  22. "Oakland Considering Up To 10 Sanctioned Homeless Encampments To Expand Outreach". Hoodline. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  23. "Instead of trashing homeless camps, this city is providing them with services". Mother Jones. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  24. Swan, Rachel (2016-10-19). "Instead of clearing homeless camps, Oakland is spiffing them up". SFGate. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  25. "SF Homeless Project: Can Oakland's Compassionate Communities program serve as a model for others?". The E'ville Eye Community News. 2016-12-08. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  26. "Fire Sweeps City-Sanctioned Encampment Under 580 Freeway, No Injuries Reported". Hoodline. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  27. "City Starts Clearing Sanctioned Camp, Says Street-Level Outreach Will Continue". Hoodline. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  28. http://www.ellabakercenter.org/sites/default/files/media/PublicSafetyBeginswithPublicHealth_OaklandSafetyPlan_2017.pdf
  29. "Oakland mayor proposes big boost in funding for anti-homelessness efforts". East Bay Times. 2017-06-15. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  30. "The meaning behind Oakland's new motto, 'love life'". East Bay Times. 2017-10-27. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  31. "Oakland Unveils New City Motto: 'Love Life'". Hoodline. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  32. by (2016-04-01). "Op-Ed: Love and Life in Oakland". Oakland Post. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  33. "'Love Life' Approved As Oakland's New City Motto". 2016-04-06. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  34. Bodley, Michael; Chronicle, San Francisco (2017-08-01). "McElhaney's ethics case headed to administrative law judge". SFGate. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  35. "Judge orders Oakland councilwoman to turn over documents in ethics probe". East Bay Times. 2016-11-08. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  36. "Oakland Public Ethics Commission Sues Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney for Failure to Turn Over Public Records". www.alamedamagazine.com. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  37. BondGraham, Darwin. "Judge Recommends $8,625 Penalty Against Oakland Councilmember Lynette Gibson McElhaney for Ethics Violations". East Bay Express. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  38. "Oakland commission lowers ethics fine on Lynette Gibson McElhaney after supporters show up - SFChronicle.com". www.sfchronicle.com. 2018-09-12. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
  39. "Oakland councilwoman violated ethics rules, commission investigators find". East Bay Times. 2017-07-26. Retrieved 2019-02-06.
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