Loren Taylor

INTRO STATEMENT FROM LOREN TAYLOR I am literally a life-long Oakland sports fan. From my earliest days, I loved attending Oakland A’s games with my parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Game day included home-made sandwiches, Shasta sodas and Granny Goose chips, all made proudly in Oakland. It was a golden era for bay area sports, and the A’s were one of the most exciting teams in baseball. I have enduring fond memories of the Bash Brothers, Dave Stewart, Ricky Henderson and the Bay Bridge series. When I left town to attend college, my wardrobe was mostly A’s/Raiders/Warriors t-shirts and hoodies. Everyone knew I was from Oakland and I was hella proud of it. When I came home to pursue my MBA at Cal, I added some Golden Bear swag to the closet. As I transitioned first into the private working world, and then into public service, I have maintained my love for local sports -- and believe strongly that a vibrant local sports scene is an essential part of a thriving Oakland. As a member of the Oakland City Council, I served for two years on the Coliseum JPA, deepening my appreciation for how public policy can contribute to either good or bad outcomes for taxpayers. More recently, I have been a big supporter of both the Roots and Ballers and encouraged others throughout the community to support these teams from the very beginning. My children are big fans as well, especially of the Roots. I’m determined to provide the support the teams need to thrive, to benefit both the teams and fans. I also believe sports are a vital element of youth growth and development, and can be a source of job creation and economic growth. As Mayor, I would maintain these ideas as a central part of my governing mandate, with one of my major priorities being to lift up and amplify the Oakland brand, in new and exciting ways. I look forward to working with Oakland sports teams and their fan bases to achieve that through the promotion and development of Oakland based sports!

QUESTIONS FOR MAYORAL CANDIDATES Barbara Lee & Loren Taylor ** Note from Loren Taylor’s team – The following questions involve many deeply rooted issues. We are pleased to provide some initial thoughts for many of the questions here, but also believe many are deserving of further consideration. It would be our hope to develop further responses to these issues in the future, and to do so in collaboration with other community leaders who also care deeply about these important subjects.

What are your ideas to help boost Oakland’s tax revenue? Increasing Oakland’s tax revenue is going to involve both near-term and longer-term actions; we won’t close our fiscal gap overnight and need to be realistic about that. However, there are many things we can do to get started right away and to build our tax base quickly. My primary immediate focus will be to stabilize and boost our existing business / economic community through a combination of increased safety measures (e.g., a dedicated retail crime unit within OPD) and improved support from city hall (e.g., a dedicated Business Concierge Service to speed up permitting requests and other support services). Then I will quickly move to grow the tax base through the establishment of an Economic Development Corporation (a private-public partnership with a variety of businesses), focused on growing economic activity in a number of centers / corridors around Oakland. Sports centers / venues and sports teams can and should be a big part of that!

If you were mayor at the time, what would you have done differently to keep any or all of Oakland’s three sports franchises from leaving town recently? Our leaders need to better understand the economics of sports teams and businesses in order to address legitimate team financial needs and goals. This high-level understanding is critical so we do not agree to bad deals out of desperation, which leave Oakland holding the short end of the deal, but also so that we can design holistic arrangements with appropriate incentives that keep teams from leaving our city unnecessarily. It’s hard to pinpoint specific items I would have offered to keep the A’s, Raiders, or Warriors in Oakland over the past several years, but be confident that I would have worked tirelessly to find an economic package that would have worked for the team owners and the interests of Oakland.

In your opinion, is a pro sports team in Oakland a drain on tax coffers or is it possible for pro sports to enhance city neighborhoods and boost tax revenue, if done properly? Pro sports teams (in their best version) should absolutely NOT be a drain on tax coffers. Successful sports teams -- particularly in cities with dedicated, passionate fan bases (like Oakland!) -- drive huge economic value, both directly and through the ancillary revenue they bring in via tourism, retail sales, and increased activity for nearby

restaurants and other businesses. But in order to accomplish this, we need to structure deals that take account of real-world business realities and negotiate from a position of knowledge and strength.

What is your plan to ensure that the presence of current Oakland pro sports teams (whether major league or minor league) yields a benefit for Oakland residents and taxpayers? As the leader of our city, I would approach such situations with the mind-set that Oakland brings a major value proposition to the table. I would work to ensure that all arrangements leverage Oakland’s significant real estate and other assets so that benefits extend to our city and our citizens, at least as much as they do for the sports team.

We believe it can be done. Question is: How exactly? In your view, what are some of the ways that can be done? My years of direct experience as a consultant to major business across a wide range of industries give me an understanding at a fundamental level how negotiations and contractual arrangements can be created to provide mutual benefits to all parties. This business knowledge and experience equips me to be an effective advocate on behalf of our city and our taxpayers. As the expression goes, the devil is in the details, and I have the ability to understand and manage the details to make sure Oakland gets its fair share.

By “benefit”, I specifically mean increased tax revenue or an urban planning perspective? Agreed. With effective negotiation and goal-setting at the front end, and consistent monitoring and performance assessment over the course of an arrangement, increased tax revenue and ambitious and effective urban planning can be achieved. I would LOVE to see both our existing (e.g., the Coliseum) and new (e.g., waterfront park areas, downtown, …) business corridors expanded with the idea of sports facilities incorporated directly into the urban planning design.

What is your plan to work with the Oakland Roots and Soul and Ballers to use their presence to maximize opportunities for Oakland youth and the Town’s job market? I have been a supporter of all three of our new sports teams since they were only an idea. When I was a city council member, I took part in a variety of efforts to promote the formation and success of the Ballers, including being “signed” by the team and “trying out” for the team. While I didn’t “make the team” I have since continued my support and advocacy by being one of hundreds of others who have invested to provide financial

support. The founders of the team are former high school classmates or mine, so this home-grown effort is personally exciting to me, as well as a fantastic example of Oakland’s determination and love of sports. I can’t wait for the Ballers season to start and show our Town spirit, the same way 100,000 Oaklanders did during their inaugural season!

Is it possible for professional football or baseball or basketball to return to Oakland? Is that a goal of yours? Yes it is possible and yes it is a major-league goal of mine. For example we should be ready to step into the breach should the A’s fall on their face in Sacramento or Vegas, and/or MLB owners decide at some point that John Fisher must go, as seems to be happening with the Tampa Bay Rays.

If that is a goal of yours, what is your plan for making that goal a reality? I believe accomplishing such a large and long-term goal will require an investment of time and effort over an extended period. In other words, if we want the return of a team, or the awarding of a new franchise, the Mayor has to develop lines of communication and relationships with key, high-level decision makers who have the ability to deliver on that objective. This is best accomplished through quiet and direct communications, which over time establish credibility and trust. Part of my vision is to serve Oakland as mayor not just for the next 20 months but for the next 6 to 10 years. If the voters allow me that opportunity, that will give me the time to establish these lines of communication, build a real plan to bring a major league sports franchise back to Oakland, and actually bring that plan to fruition by 2030 - 2035.

When we build new venues or renovate old ones, how can we get Oakland to be part of the big national and global events such as the World Cup that’s coming to the U.S. in 2026 or to the Olympics in the future? I fully agree with this idea. We absolutely should be looking at existing and potential future major sporting events to maximize the benefits for the long-term. There can be obvious short term economic impacts from the major tourism dollars that flow from such activities (hotels, restaurants, transportation, entertainment ect). But as importantly these events can create the conditions for longer term structural benefits by investments in infrastructure to serve both the short term demand, but critically can serve our longer-term economic development strategy.

Oakland has a lot of room for urban planning improvement. And pro sports increasingly has a real estate and urban planning component. How can Oakland use those converging factors to restore its pro sports scene and/or expand its real estate portfolio?

100%. We have failed to do so in the past, which has resulted in significant missed opportunities. Going forward this mind-set should be central to our economic development thinking.

What is your plan to make Oakland’s city government more proactive with a vision for the future – whether it’s tied specifically to constructing pro sports venues or in courting urban reinvestment, in general. We have neglected to have an adequate focus in this economic and community area. We need to be both strategic and smart, not short-term in our thinking.

What are some of the strategies that can be used to use pro sports and sports media to improve Oakland’s image and change the narrative about Oakland? Oakland has one of the most storied legacies in the country as far as sports is concerned. I grew up reveling in the success and culture of our city, and proudly wore it on my sleeve wherever I travelled. This legacy needs to be celebrated and leveraged into the future. I am a proud product of that legacy and I want my children, and all the young people of Oakland to have an opportunity to enjoy that same pride and sense of place.

How can we do a better job in Oakland of connecting pro sports teams to underprivileged youth and low-income communities? I would look forward to developing specific plans going forward, but I start from the perspective that, as I indicated above, doing so can be a huge contributor to the development of self-worth and ambition in our young people. When they experience directly the stories of highly successful athletes, and learn how hard work and determination are essential to success, in any field, they can carry those lessons throughout their own personal growth journeys, whether in sports or any other area of life.

What can we do in Oakland to better serve Oakland children and students, whether than includes youth sports or other youth programs? (music, art, education, dance, etc.) As the son of an Oakland public school teacher, I know from direct experience how critical it is for kids to have a full range of experiences as they are coming of age. You can never know what experience or exposure will trigger the spark of motivation and creativity in a young person, which is why being exposed to a variety of programs is essential. My own son for example is currently thriving in his musical journey, which is a wonderful thing to see as a parent.

Oakland’s parks and playgrounds were once the breeding ground for so many great Oakland athletes. But today, many of Oakland’s neglected parks and

playgrounds are in disrepair and underfunded. What can be done to restore these parks and playgrounds to the benefit of Oakland kids? The Oakland Parks and Rec Foundation is a fantastic organization that has done tremendous work for our city. Like too many organizations they struggle with limited financial resources, and could do even more when we get our financial situation back on stable ground, which I am committed to do.