El Cerrito’s bond upgrade is being touted as proof the City is on solid financial footing. But let’s be honest—this is more about headlines than reality.
A concerned citizen recently remarked that for years, El Cerrito couldn’t borrow for a hamburger today and pay tomorrow—the City was in such poor financial shape that no one would have touched its debt. It’s a sharp way to put it, and it’s true.
So while the recent upgrade looks nice on paper, it doesn’t erase the fact that El Cerrito has spent years digging out from mismanagement. The idea that the City suddenly has boundless borrowing power is a joke. No one should make too much of it.
If leadership wants to prove the City is truly back on stable ground, it will take more than a press release. It will require consistent discipline, honest conversations about lingering challenges, and rebuilding trust with residents who remember just how dire things were not long ago.
Micro-Blog: A concerned citizen said it best—El Cerrito couldn’t borrow for a hamburger today and pay tomorrow. The debt was toxic, and no one would buy it. A bond upgrade may sound good, but it doesn’t erase years of mismanagement. Real credibility comes from discipline, not headlines.
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 
If EC’s credit has been upgraded then have the City borrow the money for the TOD library just like the Developer Halladay is borrowing (leveraging) against the building cash flow. F
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