In March 2023, El Cerrito entered into contracts with both Gobe Research and Reynolds Strategies. One was for a contract for a research survey of El Cerrito voters, and the second was to assist the city with planning a strategy for a library bond measure. One contract was for 34,775 and the other was for 40k. As of the end of October 2023 all of the money had been disbursed with the exception of the last 5k on the bond measure.
The contract with Gobe for the survey states there is to be a report delivered to El Cerrito and both contracts state all materials produced belong to the city.
More than one of us has put in requests to the City Clerk for information in relationship to the work product provided for 70k of tax payor money. While the City Clerk has given access to monies paid and the signed contracts, she refuses to release any work product.
She states
“ The following records are exempt from disclosure:
1. Records that contain information that is exempt under California Government Code Section 7922, as “the public interest served by not disclosing the record clearly outweighs the public interest by disclosure of the record.” This exemption includes, without limitation, the deliberative process privilege, which prohibits the disclosure of information reflecting deliberative or decision-making processes by and between public officials.
2. Records that are “preliminary drafts, notes, or interagency or intra-agency memoranda that are not retained by the public agency in the ordinary course of business” and “the public interest served by not disclosing the record clearly outweighs the public interest by disclosure” under California Government Code Section 7927.500. “
This is saying that either public interests is better served by keeping the secure of what our 35k of taxpayer money paid for or that the company did not give them a final work product for the 35k.
Not sure which of those is worse.
We have been a bit stuck as to our next steps because sadly CA has no mechanism to force disclosure other than court. And the City knows we don’t have the money to hire a lawyer.
However, we have found free legal resources and will be pursuing this further to compel the release of work product funded by tax dollars. Maybe it won’t show anything surprising but given the level of resistance to releasing the information we suspect there is something in there worth hiding.
Stay tuned! And community you are getting the government you have repeatedly voted in despite our warnings. Please pay attention and share this article and encourage others to run and support non-democratic club endorsed candidates.
You just re-elected Gabe Quinto and elected Carolyn Wsyinger. Gabe Quinto has been a particular impediment to transparency for the city. Ms Wysinger confuses us because she has no grasp on the financial issues that we can see nor does she seem to have any interest in doing anything that is not connected with getting her picture taken.
In 2024 Paul Fadelli, Tessa Rudnick and Lisa Motoyama are all up for election.
Please consider running against them in the next election. Until we get someone on the council that is not part of the machine the council will govern as it always has. In secret and fiscally irresponsibly.
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 