The last blog focused on the MORE TAXPAYER MONEY, PLEASE, and the eminent ask for more taxpayer bailouts.
This episode spotlights Broken Promises: The myth that City Leadership allocates resources to improve the lives of El Cerrito residents.
A new Library, a Senior Center, better services — these things elected El Cerrito Officials mindlessly assure the public of their commitments.
This casual campaigning and posturing occur far too often. Whether well-intended or self-serving, the result is the same – too many empty promises. Consequently, the trust between the public and the El Cerrito Council has been severely shattered. Elected officials should aspire to be amongst the brightest minds and be respected for prudent leadership in challenging situations. When they come up short on that expectation — especially on the back of an empty promise or outright deceit, it leaves those with faith in them deflated and unsure of what to expect moving forward.
Councilmember Quinto made many commitments regarding the library and senior center.
You may recall that in 2018 Gabe, as Mayor, said, “Vote YES on V to expand local control over local funds for local needs. El Cerrito residents enjoy the benefits of our clean, safe, and well-maintained full-service City. Because of our high level of service, El Cerrito is a desirable place to live. Let’s keep it that way! Yes, on V reestablishes a guaranteed funding source to maintain and improve the city services we need and want.”
You may recall the June 18, 2018, City Council meeting @ 1:43 into the discussion, Councilmember Quinto said, ” Our senior center is by far the most popular and busiest one in West Contra. We have a large senior population that actively uses that. They use the kitchen. They go there for exercises and company.”
Nevertheless, between FY2020 and FY2024, the City Council voted to reduce the Recreation (Senior Center) budget by $263,743 (37%), forcing the closure of the Senior Center.
You read it here in the October 2022 blog, during councilmember Gabe Quinto’s years-long episode of selective memory when he said, “El Cerrito passed a transfer tax (Measure V) to help fund the library at the station, but we need more funding to ensure that we build the library. I have strong connections to regional and statewide leaders who can help identify financing to build the library. ” Gabe remembers his promises to fund the library when he lobbied heavily for Measure V.
Gabe has selective memory. Not one penny of the $18+ Million collected under Measure V has been allocated to fund the library. Instead, Measure V funding was used to cover irresponsible fiscal management.
Gabe may be one of the most vocal council members; all the others are also complicit.
They are all completely opposing the policies they swore to live by. Deception to this degree is dangerous to the community. A fundamental aspect of being an elected official is being truthful. When accountability is lost within the council chambers, it leads to a City full of discord — unsure of whom to look for guidance.
The writer once spoke to a leader of a thriving City of similar size and population to El Cerrito and asked the City Manager why they were so successful. The City Manager replied, “Most City leaders spend money on the things important to them and then ask the taxpayers to fund the City’s needs. We prioritize what we need and develop a funding plan for what we want.”
El Cerrito leaders should take notes from thriving cities.
El Cerrito’s coffers benefitted $18 million in Real Property Transfer Tax and an additional $6 million compliments of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from the federal government. El Cerrito received $24+ million, and none was dedicated to the Library or Senior Center – the people have gotten nothing.
El Cerrito residents do not get lulled into thinking the City cares about a library or senior center – they have had plenty of time to develop a funding plan but have given residents nothing but empty words. City leaders have almost no credibility in addressing the challenges to improve residents’ lives.
The City plans to return to you with a ballot measure requesting more taxes. City leaders have repeatedly demonstrated ineffective self-governance and have failed at improving your lives.
Before El Cerrito gets another taxpayer bailout, reforms must be implemented to make the City more accountable to taxpayers.
El Cerrito, the City needs you. Please attend the monthly Financial Advisory Board meetings in person. Council meetings are both remote and in-person. City leadership is more accountable and accountable to taxpayers when citizens attend meetings.
The next FAB meeting will be on July 25th. The schedule is here.
The City Council meeting with be on August 15th. The schedule is here.
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 
It is a shame that not many of the El Cerrito residents either do not know of this website’s existence or never read it
On Mon, Jul 24, 2023 at 8:05 AM El Cerrito Committee for Responsib
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please share the information widely
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Exactly Wayne, and they will not hear about from the City Manager’s Blog, from the City Council members, or the city newsletter. We are in a bubble, where only myth and fantasy reigns. Critical analysis is not welcome.
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Until you fire the City Manager nothing will change. She only uses the City as her personal travel agency and has zero ability to effectively run the city. The citizen need to vote every council member out and bring in new city leadership across the board. Dont get me started on the Library issue.. not a single dollar should ever go to building a new facility. Senior Center and a new Police and Fire building are significantly more important and necessary at this time..
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Shawn sez: “Until you fire the City Manager nothing will change … vote every council member out and bring in new city leadership across the board.”
You’re probably right, but history shows that El Cerrito voters are not going to do anything like that; there’s nothing that they love more than re-electing incumbents and incumbent-annointed successors. I see EC voters are being disengaged, inattentive, credulous, and naive, though I can’t disprove Stash’s claim that EC voters just LIKE things the way they are (you know, with sky-high tax rates, mediocre services, blighted commercial areas, high crime rates; so much to love!).
Votes have ignored outsider candidates; ignored the inept leadership that drove the city to the brink of bankruptcy; ignored the spanking from the State Auditor; ignored to decline in the quality of city services and facilities and business environment; ignored the East Bay Times calling out EC as the worst managed city in the Bay Area. Maybe if some brave former city employees would band together to “truth tell” about what they’ve seen inside City Hall, the dysfunction and mediocrity and inability to improve our community, maybe that would register? Maybe one of these former city employees runs for City Council? Other than something like that, I think the cause is lost. The Council and Pinkos just get to keep doing whatever they want and voters will not object.
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Interesting perspective
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Good news break. ECPD is either fully staffed or close to the authorized 37 sworn positions. That’s damn good considering the miserable shape nearby cities are in with high crime and slow or no response to calls for service.
Now, back to doom and gloom.
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Thanks for keeping us informed.
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Thank you. Please share the blog widely to EC friends and family or on social media
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NEWS & VIEWS, SPECIAL EDITION, JULY 2023 is a slick, 4 pages that just came in the mail and is all about a new EC library. It is full of false and misleading statements. This for example, “Any measure would be budget stable and will continue the high standards in El Cerrito for fiscal accountability and transparency . . . . . ” Do they think we are mushrooms?
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Did you see your comment on todays blog?
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As far as I know all Council members want a new library. BART is constructing the building leaving only tenant improvements to be funded by El Cerrito. Therefore, I presume the Council believes the City gets a new library at a much lower cost.
Every now and then stuff gets built. Everyone who pays attention will hear all the details about a new library over the next three months.
I predict the question will be on the ballot. I also predict Council will place the measure on the ballot with a 5-0 vote.
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It’s not unusual for the Council to vote 5-0 in favor of the City Manager’s recommendation. As you can see in previous comments, Many people seek more fiscal responsibility in the Council to challenge the City Manager toward performance standards in service delivery and moving far beyond the 13th worst in the state regarding financial performance.
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Did the City Manager make such a recommendation? When, where?
The record will show not all council members always agree with the city manager. Look at votes.
Safe to say both council and city manager desire a new library, especially if the actual building is BART’s property. Most public probably want the library too considering the close vote for the $30 million palace last time.
Karen Pinkos is hired by and works for the council. That’s the official way it works and she will endeavor to keep at least 3 of 5 happy. That is her job security. Council seems satisfied.
Having known her for 16 years I trust her completely and believe she makes well thought out decisions. Not so with some council members. Although all work for a good EC.
It takes more than a few years to fix a financial mess created by past councils. Numbers should improve over a few years. Ask her directly.
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Congratulations! In the years of this blog, you have the distinction as the only person who has publicly stated their confidence in city management.
A reasonable person would expect some accomplishments during the 16 years, yet the only positive thing noted is hard work.
Taxpayers should not be on the hook to pay high wages for performance indicative of a hamster wheel. The hamster works hard but has gotten nowhere.
The world is moving forward, so the hamster loses ground.
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Stash sez: “Therefore, I presume the Council believes the City gets a new library at a much lower cost.” That’s certainly the line that they’ve been selling. Have they shared any numbers? I haven’t seen any, but I was surveyed by the city’s pollster about the tax that they want. Interestingly, the per-household vig would be about *twice* as much as the previous (rejected) bond measure, and the proposed tax would continue *forever* at that high rate. This is a new library “at a much lower cost”? I like nice new libraries, but I’m really uncomfortable at how little information the city has shared; it feels like we are racing towards a vote on a tax and there hasn’t even been a public presentation about how much the library will cost to construct and outfit or what is the need/plan for the rest of the money ($2.7 million/year) that local taxpayers would provide. And at no point has there been any discussion about any other locations that would be more convenient to residents of the northern reaches of El Cerrito.
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Good questions. I will be interested in details. It’s logical to assume much more information will be put out as Council studies this. Maybe a public town hall.
Before any bond measure to readied for a ballot EC needs a higher S&P rating. That higher S&P is sure to happen given the City’s vastly improved financial situation.
Eager to hear and learn more. For now, it’s still summer break time.
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Opinions are generally based on characterization – not facts. What EVIDENCE do you have to support the statement on vast improvement? It
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Fact: there is a healthy general fund balance now. How about that? Call that improvement. There’s the evidence. Thank you for asking.
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The GF fund balance is compliments of Joe Biden and the RPTT – not thru fiscal prowess. THE RPTT was also promised to fund the library and Sr Center but leadership failed residence.
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Stash sez “It’s logical to assume much more information will be put out as Council studies this. Maybe a public town hall.” I mean, based on the habits and history of EC government, it’s actually ILLOGICAL to assume that there will be very much more information presented, except for such information as the city deems helpful in convincing the public to vote for the tax. It’s just not how they operate. I really want a new library, but it doesn’t engender confidence that we are this far down the road and so little information has been shared, so little genuine public engagement has happened, zero consideration of any location other than BART, and the sales job for the tax has already begun.
Stash sez “Before any bond measure to readied for a ballot EC needs a higher S&P rating.” I was surveyed about a parcel tax, not a bond, perhaps due to the obstacle of the bad bond rating. I believe that Pinkos has said that they are planning to put the tax on the ballot in 2024.
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I’ve no idea if there will ultimately be a parcel tax, bond measure, or anything. It’s up to city council and they’re still in summer mode.
Speaking with the Mayor she said calls about the city budget and financial matters are zilch. Residents are happy the city has improved in the finance area. Not all are pleased; some never are. However, the majority of residents seem to approve of the status of EC.
As with other residents, I await additional details about a library plan. BART is really in charge and it is never wise to fight the railroad.
When mentioning Amtrak Joe and the RPTT, add all the city employees who took pay cuts to get the city out of the hole. Not insignificant.
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$24M is not insignificant.
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