Greg Lyman, a former City Councilmember turned El Cerrito power broker, currently serving as Treasurer for two city council candidates he endorsed. Lyman has consistently pushed policies that exacerbate the city’s fiscal woes. Known for his influence on local decision-making and El Cerrito City Council candidates, Lyman has supported expanding city spending, including bloated administrative salaries and an oversized fire department that employs four battalion chiefs—far more than any other California city of similar size. Despite not having faced a major fire in years, the department’s focus remains on staffing rather than prioritizing fire prevention, which should be its main objective. This mismanagement only adds to the city’s already inflated expenses.
Similarly, the police department has one of the largest forces for a city of El Cerrito’s size, yet crime prevention has not improved in proportion to its growth. The focus has remained on staffing rather than taking proactive, data-driven approaches to reduce crime. These issues reflect Lyman’s broader pattern of fiscal irresponsibility, which leaves residents paying for inefficiencies instead of solutions.
During his tenure at City Hall as a council member, Lyman’s fiscal irresponsibility has been nothing short of damaging. Under his leadership, El Cerrito consistently overspent on salaries and pension obligations while ignoring the looming debt crisis. His lack of foresight has contributed significantly to the financial disaster the city is now grappling with. Residents are still living with the fallout from decisions made under his watch, with ballooning debt, depleted reserves, and a reliance on future tax hikes to plug financial holes. Instead of exercising fiscal restraint, Lyman’s tenure exemplified unchecked spending that has left the city teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
One of his most controversial proposals is recent – the “$300 per year forever tax” to fund a new library. While El Cerrito does need a new library, Lyman’s advocacy for a permanent tax places an undue and unnecessary burden on the city’s residents. This tax comes on the heels of El Cerrito securing $39 million in funding for housing, making it hard to justify asking taxpayers for more. Instead of offering sustainable financial solutions, Lyman has continued his pattern of opting for short-term fixes, relying on taxpayer dollars to paper over deep-rooted problems.
It’s Time to Change the Guard
Lyman’s track record proves that new leadership is essential for El Cerrito’s future. We need council members who will prioritize fiscal responsibility, focus on efficient city services, and make decisions that benefit residents, not just the city’s administration. It’s time for fresh perspectives, innovative solutions, and real accountability to take center stage in El Cerrito.
Call to Action
Contact the El Cerrito City Council today and voice your opinion on Greg Lyman’s misguided financial policies and the unnecessary $300 forever tax. Let’s ensure that the city is held accountable for its fiscal decisions and that meaningful solutions are prioritized over tax hikes.
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#ElCerrito #FiscalResponsibility #NoForeverTax #GregLyman #ChangeTheGuard #CommunityVoice #StopTheTax #ElCerritoCityCouncil
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 
the city of el cerrito isn’t providing any funding to build the building that will house the library (or any other building in the development for that matter) – only the 1) developer financing and 2) BART 60 year lease AND 3) the property tax payers whose supplemental tax payment that is secured by the property the is the source of funds for the apartment complex housing the library. ec has been awarded grants for the infrastructure around the development. ec wants to use the supplemental property tax of $21,000,000 to purchase equity (OWN) a portion of the building (at the Bay Area Council meeting I attended the developer estimated the building cost to be $100.000,000 which would give ec approximately a 20% ownership and a claim on annual cash flow from building rents (net of maintenance costs). See property tax payers are giving the City $21,000,000 to go into partnership with the developer. THE most important thing to know about the supplemental tax is that none (zero) of the proceeds of the tax collected can be used for debt service. In fact the bond holder who purchases the instrument has no claim on the cash flow generated by rents or security interest in the property. Their only source of repayment is the annual tax collection and the property tax lien.
On Fri, Oct 4, 2024 at 8:14 AM El Cerrito Committee for Responsib
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