OAKLAND, CA (October 8, 2018) - Oakland will establish the first city-owned public bank in the United States, with ownership shared by Oakland, Richmond, Berkeley and Alameda County. Local residents’ distaste for corruption on Wall Street inspired this initiative, to avoid spending millions on debt servicing and transaction fees at big banks and reinvest money into the community.
The Bank of North Dakota is the only other public bank in the US and has proved to be a success thus far, earning $136 million for the state last year in its thirteenth consecutive year of profits. $30 to 50 million of these profits fund education, infrastructure projects and disaster relief programs each year.
