A Critical Look at El Cerrito’s City Management: Where Are the Funds Going? Read on:

In previous blogs, we delved further into the intriguing world of governance, or more pointedly, the absence thereof. To date, several people have chimed in to say that all candidates live in El Cerrito. But the blog’s crux is governance, and governance is the epicenter of El Cerrito’s woes.

In this case: No one has demonstrated that El Cerrito has a policy requiring all Councilmembers to reside in El Cerrito during their tenure on the dais.

Now, as we transition our focus to the captivating concept of Fiscal Responsibility, we unravel the complexities and often overlooked ramifications of embracing self-governance.

This edition of our blog sharpens its lens on a critical aspect often entwined with autonomy: the spiral of excessive spending. Join us as we navigate through this financial labyrinth. Read on to uncover more.

El Cerrito’s residents are increasingly concerned about how their city is being managed, especially when comparing it to nearby Hercules. Despite having fewer residents and a smaller area, El Cerrito employs more than 2X staff as Hercules.

Still, fully staffed and fully funded departments rely heavily on Consultants to perform fundamental tasks essentially costing residents at least double the market rate.

This disparity raises questions about efficiency and accountability in city governance.

Information Technology: A Funded Department Falling Short While the City Manager’s Group appears to be well-funded and fully staffed, the performance of key departments like Information Technology (IT) is underwhelming. IT is crucial for:

• Infrastructure Management: Yet, the city excessively relies on contractors for essential functions.
• Support and Services: Basic support is inadequate, with no advancement in tackling complex issues.
• Data Management and Security: There’s a noticeable lack in proactively securing and managing city data.
• Strategic Planning and Network Management: These areas are crucial but are currently neglected.

Despite ample funding, El Cerrito’s IT department’s failure to perform its fundamental roles is a significant concern, leading to an over-reliance on external contractors for vital tasks such as basic security measures.

Finance Department: A Story of Inefficiency The Finance Department, though fully staffed, is underperforming, especially in:

1. Budget Preparation: The process lacks transparency and public involvement, deviating from standard practices recommended by GFOA.
2. Revenue Collection: Outsourcing the budget process, financial analysis, revenue analysis has not been effectively integrated into city planning.
3. Financial Reporting: Misrepresentations in financial reports  (page 56 of the City Council packet) such as comparing annual budgets with quarterly figures, raise concerns about either intentional misleading or sheer incompetence. 

These shortcomings are critical, as the Finance Department is essential for the city’s financial health and public service support.

A Comparative Perspective: Lessons from Hercules In 2011, Hercules was in a dire financial situation, yet it has since made a remarkable turnaround. The key difference lies in governance. Hercules scored a robust 73.29 out of 100 on the California State Auditor’s ranking, significantly outperforming El Cerrito’s modest 47.29 and in the RED. This gap highlights the impact of effective governance, accountability, and transparency.

Conclusion: The Path Forward El Cerrito faces a choice: continue with the status quo or learn from Hercules and strive for excellence. The city must not only address the inefficiencies in its IT and Finance departments but also embrace a governance model that values accountability and community engagement. The cost of mediocrity is high – not just in financial terms but in the quality of services that residents rightfully expect and deserve.

Your Thoughts? What are your experiences with city services in El Cerrito? Do you see similar issues, or do you have a different perspective? Share your stories and suggestions for how our city can improve. Let’s start a conversation for change.

Here is how you can help:

• Share this post with other residents.
• Comment on the post
• Attend the monthly Financial Advisory Board meetings in person.
• Post on Next Door
• Voice your concerns with the Council.
• Council meetings are remote and in-person, but public comment is now limited to in-person attendees.

If you want to contact City Council Members or the City Managers, all their emails are below:

• Karen Pinkos-City Manager kpinkos@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
• Councilperson Gabe Quinto gquinto@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
• Councilperson Carolyn Wysinger cywysinger@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
• Councilperson Tessa Rudnick trudnick@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
• Mayor Lisa Motoyama lmotoyama@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
• Councilperson Paul Fadelli pfadelli@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us