We told you in April. And now you see for yourselves The City of El Cerrito is preparing to adopt its Fiscal Year 2025–2026 budget. On paper, it’s being presented as “balanced.” But longtime residents and close watchers of the city’s finances know better: this isn’t new, and it certainly isn’t sustainable.
In recent years, this cycle has become all too familiar. The City Council approves a balanced budget in June—then by mid-year, city staff return to request additional spending authority. Often, these requests include re-appropriating money that was unspent from the prior year, or funding items that weren’t included in the adopted budget.
The Missing Surplus: A Lost Opportunity
This year is no different. The City had the opportunity to adopt the Financial Advisory Board’s (FAB) recommendation to build in a $1 million surplus—a smart, prudent buffer that would have protected against unforeseen mid-year costs.
But they didn’t. And when the inevitable mid-year “asks” come, they’ll likely dip into reserves—again.
This is not fiscal discipline. It’s budgeting by hope.
$89 Million in Pension Debt and No Real Plan
Even more alarming: the city has an unfunded CalPERS pension liability of $89 million. That number should make every resident pause. Pensions are guaranteed obligations—not optional. The city must pay them, regardless of the economic climate or available revenue.
Yet only $1 million has been set aside to address this massive debt. That’s barely over 1% of what’s owed. Every year the city delays addressing this, the problem grows. And the longer we wait, the more it will cost us—not just in dollars, but in lost services.
This Budget Isn’t Balanced—It’s a Shell Game
Calling this budget “balanced” hides the real risks. A truly responsible budget would:
• Build in a surplus to cover expected mid-year changes,
• Stop using reserves to plug holes,
• Acknowledge long-term obligations, like pensions, and start funding them now,
• Include realistic projections based on past spending patterns—not optimistic assumptions.
Residents Deserve Better
The people of El Cerrito have stepped up repeatedly to help the city. They’ve approved sales tax increases. They’ve shown up at town halls. They’ve asked tough questions—and they’ve been patient. But patience isn’t a financial strategy. Residents deserve a city that is honest about its challenges and serious about fixing them.
It’s Time to Take Action
If you believe in protecting El Cerrito’s financial future, it’s time to act. Contact your City Council. Demand transparency, accountability, and a budget that doesn’t just check boxes—it addresses real needs.
Email Your City Council:
• Mayor Carolyn Wysinger — cwysinger@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
• Mayor Pro Tem Gabe Quinto — gquinto@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
• Councilmember Lisa Motoyama — lmotoyama@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
• Councilmember Rebecca Saltzman — rsaltzman@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
• Councilmember William Ktsanes — wktsanes@ci.el-cerrito.ca.us
Tell them:
• We need a $1 million surplus built into the budget,
• No more mid-year asks that raid our reserves,
• A funded, transparent plan to address the $89 million pension liability,
• And regular updates that clearly show where we stand.
This is your city. Let’s make sure it has a future that’s not just balanced for one year—but built to last.
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 