Oakland mayoral election: Loren Taylor shares vision for city, tackling crime, budget crisis

OAKLAND, Calif. (KGO) -- The race for Oakland mayor is on, and the top two candidates are making their case ahead of the April 15 special election.

ABC7 News anchor Julian Glover, ABC7 News reporter Monica Madden and ABC7 News Insider Phil Matier talked to candidate Loren Taylor about issues facing the city, like crime, homelessness, the economy and more.

WATCH: Oakland mayoral election: Top candidates share vision for city, crime and more with ABC7

Here's what candidate Taylor had to say.

On recall of former Mayor Sheng Thao, what he'd do differently

Taylor was in support of the Mayor Sheng Thao recall after the FBI raid and investigation. So what will he do differently?

He says Oaklanders are fed up. They see the potential of the city but recognize that leadership was failing to deliver for residents.

First, Taylor says he will not kick the can down the road when it comes to making necessary decisions to turn things around. In terms of the fiscal budget deficit, he says, "We have to make some hard but necessary choices. Some great programs are not going to be funded because we just can't afford to do so."

He also wants to invest heavily in growth. "Because of my background as a biomedical engineer, as a former business consultant for Fortune 500 to 50 companies, and as a community leader, being able to balance all of that and drive us towards growth, creation of greater opportunities that are equitably access for all, that's what I'm focused on and that's something that the prior administration did not prioritize."

He also acknowledged the issue of public safety. "Being able to lean in and make measurable improvements in safety, increasing the number of officers while doubling down on violence prevention efforts and increasing community police relations, also a critical priority for me."

City Budget Deficit

When asked how he plans to address the city's massive budget deficit, Taylor says he's looking at mismanagement, corruption, self-dealing, inefficiencies and the lack of political will to make the necessary decisions.

When asked to clarify what decisions need to be made, he says first the city has an issue saying no to good ideas and projects.

"The reason why we have gotten to this structural budget deficit is because, without saying no, we are spending much more than we bring in. That decision has to be made in terms of what's not going to be done. Implementing a system where we can prioritize, the biggest priorities are those that get funded first. Then the medium priorities, smaller ones. Then what's left behind, we've got to say no to. We can't just bet on something happening in the future and not having to make that hard decision."

He used the Coliseum as an example. "That should never have been a sale transaction, that is simply avoiding us making the necessary decisions. Selling that property and betting it will come in for salvaging our budget... not a great solution. Clearly we see the impact of that now."

Public Safety

Taylor says that public safety is the number one issue for Oakland residents right now. When asked what his plan was in the short-term, he says he will first make sure Governor Gavin Newsom does not pull the CHP out of Oakland. "They have been an incredible lifeline, helping us get on top of these issues and pulling that away prematurely, not allowing us the runway to get our legs underneath us, it would set us back." He stressed the need to establish stronger partnerships with other agencies - CHP, the Alameda County Sheriff's Office - and our federal partners when it comes to specific interventions.

He says we also need to leverage technology like surveillance cameras and license plate readers better. He says the city needs to also demonstrate that people are being held accountable for actions that put Oaklanders at risk, which includes investing more heavily into the criminal investigations division and making sure the city partners more effectively with the new DA.

When asked where he stands on the police pursuit policy, Taylor says he supports expanding the policy so pursuits happen with less restrictions -- especially when an officer sees a crime in action and is limited from being able to pursue. "It is deflating for Oaklanders to see video of a crime taking place and then realizing that the officer who drove up to the scene and saw it happen just sits there and parks as the perpetrators get away. That only reinforces the fact that Oakland is a viable target for criminals and we can't allow that to be the case."

You can watch the full interview in the video player above to see where Taylor stands on various other issues.

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