Audit: Absent leadership, poor communication led to Oakland missing out on $15 million grant
OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- Absent leadership and a lack of any grants management policy.
That's what a new 37-page audit released this week says contributed to the city of Oakland missing out on more than $15 million worth of state grant funding to help fight retail theft.
"There was no one that made sure that deadlines are met, that specific tasks were completed, at specific times," Michael Houston, the acting City Auditor of Oakland said.
Houston is the acting City Auditor of Oakland and the author of the report.
He started working on it after the community demanded answers.
And a formal letter from the Oakland branch of the NAACP was filed asking the city to investigate the 'failure to submit the grant application.'
"Asking the city auditor to look into what was obviously a lack of coordination, obviously a lack of leadership," Robert L Harris, a member of the Executive Committee of the NAACP Oakland branch said.
RELATED: Oakland loses out on millions in grant to fight retail crime due to missed application deadline
Houston found that officials in both the Oakland Police Department and the Economic and Workforce Development Department started working on this separately, without talking to each other.
It wasn't until 11 days before the deadline when both departments finally sat down for a meeting and worked right up to the 5 p.m. deadline on July 7th.
Houston found that, "ultimately, the City of Oakland prepared, but did not successfully submit an application for the ORTP (Organized Retail Theft Prevention) grant."
"What we found was that there was poor communication, within departments and between departments, there was no project management and no one really took charge," he said.
Robert L Harris of the NAACP Oakland branch says it's not acceptable. And he blames Mayor Sheng Thao.
"We need a mayor who understands how to lead," Harris said. "NAACP is under the opinion that the mayor has failed us and has failed us badly."
RELATED: Oakland community leaders frustrated after city misses out on millions to fight retail crime
In September, Mayor Thao blamed others.
"I'm furious. I'm frustrated that the city staff missed the deadline," Thao said in September 2023.
But one month later, during her State of the City address, the mayor took accountability.
"We missed an opportunity with the retail theft grant, and as Mayor, I own that and the buck stops with me," she said in October 2023.
The Mayor's Office said Wednesday her administration has improved their grant management process and secured millions in other grants and state support.
And the City Administrator's Office says they created a new position to help with grants coordination, with a new hire expected to start later this month.
If you're on the ABC7 News app, click here to watch live
