"In order to deliver essential services our community needs and deserves, the City of Oakland must bring in revenue to keep up with its expenses. Given our ongoing budget constraints, the city needs to secure every dollar it can."
"The audit identified ways the city can bring in revenue that it is owed and desperately needs. It's unclear how much money was left on the table due to data limitations."
Oakland's Revenue Bureau significantly reduced tax collection activities between 2021 and 2024, leading to uncollected business taxes. The city did not refer delinquent accounts for collection in a timely manner. Investigators could not determine the total revenue lost due to data limitations. However, the city could have referred $9 to $12 million annually for collections. An organizational shift in late 2022 affected tax compliance reporting. City Auditor Michael Houston emphasized the need for Oakland to secure all owed revenue to meet budget constraints and provide essential services.
Read at The Oaklandside
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