Editor’s Note: Following the publication of this blog post, the City of El Cerrito staff made updates to the quarterly performance reports. These reports feature tables detailing revenue and expense categories, complete with annotations regarding budget percentages. This update is undeniably a positive move forward.
The City Council Packet for Tuesday’s meeting was released today. The package includes a check register and a lengthy narrative about the city’s financial position. The anchor sentence in the first paragraph speaks volumes: “The Council has closely monitored the City’s budget and financial position and directed City staff to submit quarterly General Fund financial update reports.”
Regrettably, the City Council cannot effectively oversee the city’s budget and financial health via an extensive narrative that only covers selected topics and fails to provide a comprehensive and accurate overview of the city’s financial situation.
Ineffective Budget Development and Monitoring Practices
The State Auditor noted the following in March 2022: Starting with the first quarter of fiscal year 2021-22, El Cerrito began sharing detailed revenue and expenditure reports by department to the city council, enhancing transparency in its budget updates. From the second quarter, it also included comparisons with the previous year’s actual expenditures. This approach helps the council identify potential overspending by departments. For instance, the second quarter update revealed the community development department was on track to exceed its budget due to a heavier workload, leading to a budget revision that allocated extra funds to it.
It’s important to mention that after the State Auditor acknowledged the fulfillment of this recommendation, El Cerrito stopped its previous reporting practice and went through a prolonged period without issuing reports. Subsequently, citing staff shortages, the city switched to verbal reporting. Currently, the recommendations are documented in writing, yet they lack depth and detail.
By comparison, the city of Albany compares budgeted revenue with actual receipts and compares budgeted expenses to actual expenditures.
Your Role in Enhancing Financial Transparency
The narrative unfolding in El Cerrito’s financial reporting is not just a matter of bureaucratic procedure; it is a critical issue of transparency and accountability. As residents, there is a collective responsibility to demand a fuller, more transparent view of the city’s financial dealings. By urging the City Council to adopt a more rigorous comparison of budgeted versus actual figures—categorized by department and aligned in time periods—we can avoid the pitfalls of comparing disparate data sets and ensure a more accurate assessment of the city’s fiscal health.
This call to action is not merely about enhancing reports but about fostering a culture of transparency that benefits all.
Here is more on how you can help:
Inform the City Council and City Manager that you are seeking a full and transparent overview of financial matters. Emphasize the necessity for them to provide comparisons between budgeted and actual figures, both by category and department, ensuring consistency in the time periods of all data to avoid mismatched comparisons, such as annual figures against quarterly numbers.
- 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
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 
Quick question: While there is a lot of criticism and fiscal analysis about how the city of El Cerrito is run how successful have you been in actually changing policies and/or the the narrative?
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I hope this email finds you well. Thank you for reaching out with your question regarding the impact of criticism and fiscal analysis on policy changes and the narrative surrounding the city of El Cerrito.
It’s important to acknowledge that progress in municipal governance, especially when it comes to policy changes and altering public narratives, often occurs incrementally. In El Cerrito, like in many communities, we’ve seen that consistent and constructive criticism, combined with thorough fiscal analysis, has played a crucial role in sparking conversations about how our city is managed. While these discussions have sometimes led to tangible changes, it’s fair to say that we’re in a “game of inches.”
To Nancy and all concerned residents, it’s essential to understand the power of community involvement in this process. The more residents engage—whether through attending city council meetings, participating in local forums, or simply staying informed—the stronger our collective voice becomes. Moreover, voting for candidates who are not only receptive but also committed to acting on community feedback is critical in driving the kind of policy changes we wish to see.
It’s also worth noting the example of Hercules, a city that managed to turn its financial situation around after 2010. Their journey illustrates that with the right strategies, a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility, and active community engagement, cities can overcome significant financial challenges. This example serves as an inspiring blueprint for El Cerrito and other cities facing similar issues.
In essence, while we have made strides in certain areas, there is always more work to be done. The ongoing involvement of residents and their willingness to support forward-thinking leadership are key to ensuring our city not only addresses its current challenges but also thrives in the future.
Let’s continue to work together, inch by inch, towards a better El Cerrito. Please feel free to share your thoughts or further questions you might have.
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