The Oakland City Council is on the verge of ratifying a significant contract with Becker Boards, LLC, which could play a crucial role in addressing the city’s pressing budget issues.
On Tuesday, the Community and Economic Development Committee voted 3-1 to advance a proposal allowing Becker Boards to erect five new billboards on privately owned land.
In exchange for these new constructions, Becker would dismantle 11 existing billboards within 15 years of the first sign’s installation.
If the full council endorses this plan on June 17, Becker will contribute up to $2.3 million immediately, along with annual payments of up to $750,000 over a 31-year span.
The proposal, according to its specifics, amounts to a total value of $35 million, in addition to over $13 million in complimentary advertising for local organizations.
A noteworthy aspect of the agreement is Becker’s commitment not to advertise firearms on its billboards.
The proposed billboard locations are scattered throughout Oakland, including sites such as 3529 Peralta Street and 668 23rd Street, among others.
In contrast to a previous relocation agreement made with Becker in 2023, this new proposal does not specify the billboards that Becker will replace.
Though the deal has yet to pass through the full council, its approval appears likely since it is incorporated into the city’s recently approved two-year budget plan.
The backdrop for this agreement is a projected $265 million structural deficit Oakland anticipates facing over the next two years.
Councilmember Janani Ramachandran, a co-sponsor of the billboard deal, was part of the budget amendment discussions finalized the previous day, which included projected revenue from Becker in its financial framework.
Councilmember Noel Gallo emphasized the significance of the deal at the meeting, reflecting on his positive experiences since Becker’s initial arrival in Oakland.
He called for full support for the proposal, asserting the city’s financial needs and the potential benefits of the arrangement.
However, the billboard advertising market in Oakland is marked by strict regulations and competitive tensions among a limited number of companies.
These regulations necessitate that companies remove existing billboards before erecting new ones, which has created a challenging business environment.
In 2023, the council had authorized a relocation agreement with Becker and Outfront Foster Interstate amid significant opposition from rival billboard company Clear Channel.
A report from an Alameda County civil grand jury pointed out several issues regarding the city’s handling of the previous agreement, raising questions about a conceivable conflict of interest involving Gallo, which the city refuted.
On Tuesday, representatives from Clear Channel and Outfront urged the committee to reconsider entering into another contract with Becker.
Chris Powell, an attorney for Outfront, criticized the projected revenues from the Becker deal as unrealistic, arguing that the billboard market is already saturated.
He further claimed Becker lacks the ability to remove the promised number of existing signs because it does not own any.
In defense of Becker, Nema Link, the director of land development, countered these arguments, asserting that Becker does own billboards in Oakland and has secured rights to remove several others that are on private properties.
Link suggested that the opposition from Clear Channel represents an attempt to exclude competitors from the market rather than genuine concern for the city’s financial health.
A group of community members, adorned in bright green shirts, attended the meeting to advocate for the council’s approval of the Becker deal.
Many of these individuals benefited from a previous agreement with Becker, which allocated some revenue to local organizations and provided free advertising spaces.
Cathy Adams, president of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, expressed gratitude for these benefits, emphasizing the positive impact on her members’ businesses and livelihoods.
Despite the support from various community members, Councilmember Carroll Fife was a notable dissenting voice on the committee.
Fife raised concerns about the financial projections being included in budget amendments, suggesting these projections are overly optimistic considering that the deal has yet to be finalized.
In response, Brian Mulry, a supervising deputy city attorney, assured that as long as Becker fulfills its upfront payment obligations by September 1, 2026, the revenue could be factored into the city’s budget.
However, the real uncertainty remains with Caltrans, which must issue permits for Becker to proceed with the construction of the new billboards.
Bradley Johnson, the city’s budget administrator, reassured Fife that the council is justified in relying on projected revenue, provided there’s a reasonable expectation for its realization.
He elaborated that the agreement with Becker is unlike the city’s previously complicated Coliseum transaction, which severely impacted Oakland’s budget situation.
image source from：https://oaklandside.org/2025/06/12/oakland-billboard-deal-could-help-close-the-citys-budget-gap/
