Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result

City Leadership: It’s not Us,  It’s You. You just don’t understand. 

Citizens: Most residents want a new and improved library. We support the City’s efforts, but clearly not at any cost.

In 2016, the initial attempt to secure a library bond in El Cerrito faced a resounding rejection from the Citizens. The bond measure crumbled due to a widespread lack of faith in the leadership of the City of El Cerrito. This unmistakable message from the community was loud and clear, but unfortunately, the city council and city manager chose to disregard the concerns voiced by its residents.

Both the Citizens and the Financial Advisory Board had advised the City to take actions that would rebuild their trust. However, rather than heeding this counsel, the City moved in the opposite direction. When the current City Manager assumed her role, the City held a pristine AAA- bond rating. Astonishingly, her tenure saw this rapid decline to a disheartening BBB-. While a BBB- rating is slightly better than a junk bond rating, it’s far from desirable.

The El Cerrito City Council placed Measure V on the 2018 ballot to ask El Cerrito voters to approve an El Cerrito Charter and a tax on real estate sales. At that time, Council Members, some of whom are on the City Council now, promised Citizens that the funding from this tax would pay for the library and senior center. Property purchasers within El Cerrito must also pay a city Transfer Tax and the Documentary Transfer Tax. The rate for this city tax is $12 per $1,000 or fraction thereof.

After many promises to improve the lives of Citizens of El Cerrito, the Council once again reneged on their promises. Instead of funding the library and senior center, they allowed the City Manager to cover her mismanagement by using the revenue from Measure V to balance the budget in 2019, 2020, 2022 and in perpetuity.

Fast forward to 2023

After a bailout from the Federal Government, the City’s bond rating managed to inch to BBB. Simultaneously, the City initiated surveys to gauge public sentiment regarding a Property Tax Measure. The first survey took place in May 2023, but apparently, the results needed to align with the City’s expectations, leading to a second survey in October 2023, all at the taxpayers’ expense. Paradoxically, despite the City Manager’s repeated emphasis on accountability and transparency, they chose not to disclose the survey results, causing further frustration in the community.

After facing considerable public outcry, the City eventually made the survey results public. The findings revealed a decline in public confidence between May and October. Nonetheless, as the City kicked the can to a future ballot measure,  the City persists in asserting that the Citizens lack understanding and need more education.

The truth is the community desires a library, ideally one that is cost-effective. However, the community’s expectations do not extend beyond this simple request. The library’s funding hours have been severely reduced, with some days having as few as 48 hours of operation per week, closed two consecutive days. It’s not an exaggeration to say that we’ve fought tirelessly to preserve the few remaining hours. Regrettably, the City squandered $70,000 of taxpayer money, a sum more than sufficient to extend library hours, due to their unwillingness to listen to the voices of Citizens, the Financial Advisory Board, or anyone else for that matter.

Moreover, public trust declined between March and October, a downward trend headed for a cliff.

So, El Cerrito, Council and City Manager – you, not us, need to make a significant change. We know far more than you think we know.  

Your Thoughts? What are your experiences with city services in El Cerrito? Do you see similar issues, or do you have a different perspective? Please 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