Vote NO on Tax Measures Without a Sunset: El Cerrito’s Never-Ending Taxation

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El Cerrito’s City Council is returning, pleading for more tax revenue from its residents. In 2022, it was the parcel transfer tax. Now, they want to pass Measure G, which means our sales tax will be 10.25%—and make it permanent. Yes, you read that right. Despite the voter mandate to sunset this tax in March 2027 and return it to 9.25%, the City Council wants to make this higher tax rate a permanent fixture. They aren’t asking for a vote to extend it for another 10 or 12 years; they want it to last forever.

This “beggar thy neighbor” policy is not just a bad look for our city but alienates us from neighboring cities, which lose revenue while El Cerrito benefits at their expense. Our share of property taxes is already staggering, comparable to a spoiled juvenile who keeps hitting up their parents for more money without even bothering to get a part-time job. Richmond, El Cerrito, and Pinole already pay the highest property taxes in Contra Costa County. How much more do they expect from us?

Look at San Pablo Avenue—it’s a wasteland. Our city can’t seem to get any development approved. Our slow permit department and lackluster city services are reaping what they’ve sown. The best way to increase tax revenue isn’t by squeezing every last penny out of residents and businesses who are already struggling. It’s by making our city a place where businesses want to operate.

El Cerrito Has the Highest Sales Tax in Contra Costa County

To put things into perspective, take a look at the current sales tax rates across Contra Costa County:

CitySales Tax RateCountyType
Antioch9.750%Contra CostaCity
Brentwood8.750%Contra CostaCity
Clayton8.750%Contra CostaCity
Concord9.750%Contra CostaCity
Contra Costa County8.750%Contra CostaCounty
Danville8.750%Contra CostaCity
El Cerrito10.250%Contra CostaCity
Hercules9.250%Contra CostaCity
Lafayette8.750%Contra CostaCity
Martinez9.750%Contra CostaCity
Moraga9.750%Contra CostaCity
Oakley8.750%Contra CostaCity
Orinda9.750%Contra CostaCity
Pinole9.750%Contra CostaCity
Pittsburg9.250%Contra CostaCity
Pleasant Hill9.250%Contra CostaCity
Richmond9.750%Contra CostaCity
San Pablo9.500%Contra CostaCity
San Ramon8.750%Contra CostaCity
Walnut Creek9.250%Contra CostaCity

As you can see, El Cerrito already has the highest sales tax in the county. Voting YES on Measure G means giving up any chance of rolling back taxes in the future. It means saying yes to more of the same slow, ineffective city services and lack of development that has plagued our city for years. It means letting the City Council continue to dig deeper into our pockets without addressing the root causes of our financial woes.

We need to send a message to the City Council: No more permanent taxes. Vote NO on any tax measure without a sunset. We deserve a city that works for us, not against us.

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