As the new year begins, residents of El Cerrito may notice a stark contrast between their city’s operations and those of neighboring municipalities. While cities like San Pablo, Richmond, Albany, and Hercules are conducting city council meetings during the first full week of January, El Cerrito’s City Hall remains closed, with staff on a two-week holiday break from December 20, 2024, through January 3, 2025.
This extended closure has tangible implications for the community. With city staff unavailable, essential tasks such as preparing and publishing meeting agendas cannot be completed in accordance with the Brown Act’s 48-hour public notice requirement. Consequently, the City Council meeting meeting for January 7th is cancelled and other public engagements are delayed, hindering civic participation and the timely addressing of community concerns.
What exacerbates this situation is the city’s staffing and compensation structure. The El Cerrito City Manager is paid comparably to those of larger cities. Paid more than her peers in cities of similar size, she manages to deliver significantly less with substantially more resources. El Cerrito employs a significantly larger staff compared to similar-sized neighboring cities. For instance, in 2020, El Cerrito had 384 city employees, with 159 full-time positions, serving a population of approximately 25,000. In contrast, San Pablo, with a larger population of nearly 31,000, operated with 252 employees, including 114 full-time staff. This disparity results in a higher cost per resident in El Cerrito, amounting to $1,163, compared to San Pablo’s $704 per resident.
El Cerrito Responsible Government
Despite this larger workforce and higher expenditure, the recent holiday closure suggests that residents may not be receiving commensurate value for their tax dollars. The complete shutdown of city services for two weeks, a practice not commonly observed in neighboring municipalities, raises questions about operational efficiency and resource allocation.
Moreover, concerns have been raised about the city’s payroll expenses. Reports indicate that El Cerrito’s staff size and compensation contribute significantly to its financial obligations, including a substantial unfunded pension liability.
El Cerrito Responsible Government
In light of these issues, it is imperative for El Cerrito’s leadership to reassess the city’s staffing models, compensation structures, and operational practices. Implementing more efficient management strategies could ensure that residents receive better value for their tax contributions and that city services remain uninterrupted, even during holiday periods.
As taxpayers, residents have a vested interest in advocating for transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility within their local government. Engaging in public discussions, attending city council meetings (once they resume), and voicing concerns can drive the necessary changes to enhance the quality and reliability of city services in El Cerrito.
As of December 2024, the following individuals represent the community on the City Council:
- Carolyn Wysinger, Mayor (Council Term Ends: 2026)
Email: cwysinger@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us - Gabe Quinto, Council Member (Term Ends: 2026)
Email: gquinto@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us - Lisa Motoyama, Council Member (Term Ends: 2028)
Email: lmotoyama@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us - Rebecca Saltzman, Council Member (Term Ends: 2028)
Email: rsaltzman@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us - William Ktsanes, Council Member (Term Ends: 2028)
Email: wktsanes@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
Reach out to your representatives to share concerns and ideas. Engaging with our elected officials is key to driving positive change. Let’s work together to ensure our government reflects the values and priorities of the community!
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 
I’d like to agree with you but you keep comparing EC to cities that do not employ firefighters. Hercules and San Pablo have none. They contract the service out to other agencies and simply pay a fee in the same way that EC does not employ librarians; the County employs them. The firefighters exist, they are just not paid directly by those cities. So your numbers in reference to city employees are not a directly applicable comparison. If you think EC would be better off contracting out the fire service that is another issue.
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Thank you for your comment. You raise an important point about how cities structure their services. While Hercules and San Pablo don’t directly employ firefighters, they ensure fire protection through contracts, much like El Cerrito does with its library services. Are there aspects of their approach to contracting services that El Cerrito could learn from? If you believe contracting fire services might benefit El Cerrito, I’d be curious to hear more about your perspective.
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Bob, we would like to hear more Hercules and EC are the same size yet EC has 2x the staff If your logic holds then the fire department is the same size as Hercules’ entire staff It doesn’t seem to pass the smell test
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