OAKLAND — Mayor Barbara Lee used her second State of the City address to outline plans for public safety and neighborhood cleanup while confronting a structural budget deficit of more than $100 million and a city workforce with over 1,000 funded positions unfilled. Before Lee spoke at City Hall, public workers gathered outside to draw attention to tense contract negotiations and staffing shortages. Julian Ware, an Oakland city worker and vice president of Local 21, said vacancies leave employees taking on multiple jobs. “What we really want to do is push against these high vacancy rates so we can have people doing the job of one person instead of two or three people,” he said. Lee said her administration is working to improve city services despite financial constraints. “We’re working hard on everything that you need to make the quality of life you deserve real,” she said. On public safety, the mayor pointed to declining crime and the end of federal oversight of the Oakland Police Department. She said the city plans to recruit more officers through expanded police academies, while emphasizing that the end of federal monitoring does not end the city’s responsibility for police accountability. “The responsibility is ours now,” Lee said. “Constitutional policing, civilian oversight must remain our standard.” Lee also pledged a stronger response to illegal dumping, a persistent quality-of-life concern for residents. The city is allocating $9.2 million for cleanup crews and technology intended to catch people dumping waste illegally. “Let me be clear, illegal dumping is a moral disgrace,” she said. The speech also addressed proposed data centers and their potential demands on local energy and other resources. Demonstrators called for a 45-day moratorium on the projects. Nicole Ghio, California director for Food & Water Watch, said the facilities are “very energy hungry” and could threaten jobs. Lee backed a temporary pause, saying it would allow residents more time to weigh in before projects advance. Her remarks indicated support for the proposal, not that a moratorium had already taken effect. “Residents need to weigh in on any industry that’s trying to come to Oakland,” Lee said. The address laid out priorities, but the city’s budget shortfall and staffing vacancies remain significant hurdles to delivering services. Lee said there are no easy answers to every challenge facing Oakland, while expressing confidence in the city’s direction.