— Reflections from El Cerrito’s July 4 Event
By Concerned Citizens
At the July 4 celebration in El Cerrito — a day filled with vendor booths, food, and community spirit — we had the opportunity to speak with Will Provost. Amid the festivities, we discussed something far more serious: how to ensure that senior issues in El Cerrito get the attention they deserve.
Will suggested that the most effective way to move senior priorities forward is through a formal recommendation from the Committee on Aging. According to him, this would place the issue on the City Council’s consent calendar, giving the council the opportunity to decide whether to agendize the item for discussion. From there, the council could choose to have a full conversation — or not. They are not required to act, even if the committee raises valid concerns or proposals. That’s the current process.
Of course, this route has been tried before. A few years ago, the Committee on Aging made a similar recommendation. The council took no action. We’re hopeful that this time will be different. El Cerrito’s senior population continues to grow — and so does our concern.
El Cerrito no longer has a dedicated senior center. And while some in City Hall claim there’s more participation now that the center is gone, let’s be honest: the previous facilities were far from ideal, but at least they provided a place for seniors to gather, connect, and build community. Now we’re left with scattered programs and vague assurances that seniors are still “included.” It doesn’t feel like inclusion. It feels like an afterthought.
This isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about what our community needs now: visibility, dialogue, and meaningful policy that supports older residents. Seniors are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for our voices to be heard and our concerns to be addressed — just like any other group in this city.
Seniors — and soon-to-be seniors — need to support one another. The senior center is gone, despite promises to the contrary. The city is now proposing a $300 “forever tax”, and we’ve seen residential parking quietly eliminated on our streets, making access even more difficult for aging residents. These are not isolated decisions — they form a pattern that deserves our collective attention.
We hope the Committee on Aging will consider making a new recommendation. We hope the council will rise to the occasion and choose to agendize it. But more than anything, we hope our city remembers that the dignity and well-being of our senior population isn’t a back-burner issue. It’s a measure of who we are.
Let’s coordinate our dissatisfaction at the voting booth. Our voices matter. Our votes matter. Let’s make sure the city knows it.
— Concerned Citizens of El Cerrito
P.S. The city should be careful not to confuse the absence of complaint with satisfaction. Seniors deserve more than a place at the table — we deserve to be part of the conversation.
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 
Please get the facts out to EC residents. 1) the City owns the current library site that can be easily and quickly redeveloped into an architecturally significant 12,500 two story EC landmark at the same cost per square foot for the TOD library ( http://www.nollandtam.com for standalone library projects) which will cost MUCH LESS to construct, maintain, be safer, and less congested location for easy access and oh ya 20 yards from the largest and oldest elementary school in EC 2) the City is committed to starting a de novo Community Library funded by the proposed parcel tax and operated by the City (not disclosed) as described in the voter initiative document. EC already has children book hours and manages everything that happens in the 4 walls of the library. We need more community? 3) the current library is 6,400 sq ft. that will occupy a 20,000 sq ft space with the remaining 13,600 sq ft space for the Community Library ? That is going to be funded by the $900,000 in the parcel tax use of funds (see attached) 4) the CCC Library system is silent about the new library at a time when they need to step up and support the project like it did in Pleasant Hill with $1,100,000 donated to their new library 5) the only way for the City to finance ANY capital project is via a parcel tax. Full stop. EC has no ability to borrow money
On Sun, Jul 6, 2025 at 11:24â¯AM El Cerrito Committee for Responsib
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