Oakland may seek to give its mayor more power, signaling big-city ambitions

OAKLAND — Oakland has long stood out among major metropolitan cities for how little power its mayor holds, a problem that critics blame for an often dysfunctional political climate.

That could change in the upcoming November election. The president of the Oakland City Council said Monday he is preparing to work on ballot language that would grant Mayor Barbara Lee — and future city mayors — the power to veto council decisions for the first time.

Late last month, a group of officials...