Who’s Really Voting for Perpetual Taxes in El Cerrito?

When we closely examine who supports taxes with no sunset in El Cerrito, we see a pattern. It’s not the average resident, small business owner, or family planning to stay in the city for years to come. Instead, the push for these endless taxes often comes from groups who are far removed from the financial realities most of us face.

1. The Wealthy: For this group, perpetual tax increases are barely noticeable. They can afford the higher costs without it impacting their daily lives. To them, these taxes are a small inconvenience in exchange for maintaining services they value, but the impact on middle- and lower-income families is much more severe.
2. The Transient: These are people who don’t plan to stay in El Cerrito long-term. Whether they’re homeowners, renters, temporary residents, or people with one foot out the door, the long-term financial burden of higher taxes doesn’t matter to them. They vote for the tax increases knowing they’ll be gone before the real costs kick in.
3. Those Without Heirs: People without children or dependents who will inherit the growing tax burden often vote for these measures with little personal consequence. They aren’t thinking about how these decisions will impact future generations or the families who plan to stay and grow roots in El Cerrito.
4. The Low-Information Voter: Some voters believe that taxes with “no sunset” can easily be repealed by the public at a later date, assuming it’s a simple process. They don’t realize that once these taxes are in place, undoing them is extremely difficult and rare. These voters mistakenly think the public will always have the power to reverse the tax if it becomes too burdensome, but history shows that’s rarely the case.

These tax hikes are not the solution for the rest of us, who are invested in El Cerrito’s future. We’re facing long-term financial obligations that could be avoided if El Cerrito followed the example of other Contra Costa cities. These cities have managed to maintain lower expense bases by tightening their budgets, improving operational efficiency, and making smarter financial decisions—without continuously raising taxes. El Cerrito needs to pursue similar alternatives instead of relying on perpetual tax hikes that increase the cost of living without addressing the root causes of our financial problems.

This tax initiative will likely pass, but the language used to describe it is misleading. The ballot refers to Measure G as a “1-cent sales tax.” This is inaccurate! When you dig deeper, it becomes clear that this is actually a 1% sales tax.

To a casual reader, this might seem like a 1-cent tax on purchases, regardless of the amount. In reality, it’s a 1% sales tax, which means it’s 1 cent on a $1 purchase, $10 on a $1,000 purchase, and so on. This kind of phrasing contributes to the community’s mistrust of the city. Whether intentional or simply a result of poor diligence, there’s no excuse for misleading residents.

It’s time we stood up for responsible fiscal management and said no to endless taxes that only serve to cover bloated spending. Instead, we need real solutions that reduce unnecessary expenses and hold our city accountable.

Join us in demanding smarter budgeting and fiscal responsibility from El Cerrito’s leadership. Let’s advocate for sustainable solutions that don’t place the burden of excessive taxes on current and future residents. The future of our city depends on it—get involved, make your voice heard, and vote for responsible financial management.

#ElCerritoTaxes #FiscalResponsibility #StopEndlessTaxes #SmartBudgeting #InformedVoter #NoMoreTaxHikes #SustainableSpending #ProtectOurFuture #AccountabilityMatters