El Cerrito’s problems run far deeper than budget shortfalls and service delays. They are systemic—rooted in a culture of poor financial stewardship, opaque decision-making, and an entrenched unwillingness to hold leadership accountable. These challenges cannot be resolved by tinkering at the margins or by trusting the same people who created them to suddenly reverse course.
For years, the city has relied on unsustainable financial practices—draining reserves, deferring maintenance, and avoiding the structural changes needed for cost containment to achieve stability. Operating costs continue to rise without a clear long-term funding plan. Capital projects like pool upgrades are launched with no credible strategy to pay for ongoing expenses. The city’s financial “fixes” have been little more than short-term plugs that leave us weaker in the long run.
The bond rating is up but that’s based on FY24-25 reserves which have been reduced by 20% since then.
Operational inefficiencies are baked into the system. Departments often work in silos, duplicating efforts rather than coordinating for maximum impact. The city clerk ignores transparency and decides which records people receive. Critical services limp along without adequate planning or performance tracking. While residents face service cuts and tax hikes, the city’s process for setting priorities remains disconnected from actual community needs.
Transparency is equally lacking. Public input is often sought only after decisions are effectively made. Council meetings meet the minimum legal notice requirements, but the spirit of open government—genuine dialogue and early engagement—is absent. Too often, important issues are buried in lengthy agendas or framed in ways that obscure their true implications.
Accountability is virtually nonexistent. When mistakes are made—whether in financial projections, project management, or policy execution—there are no meaningful consequences. The same leadership remains in place, recycling the same talking points and hoping residents will accept “we’re working on it” as a plan.
This cycle will not break on its own. The same councilmembers and city manager who presided over these failures cannot credibly be tasked with fixing them.
What We Need Going Forward:
- Financial reform that prioritizes sustainable budgeting, realistic projections, and disciplined reserve policies.
- Operational overhaul to eliminate inefficiency, measure results, and tie resources directly to outcomes that matter to residents.
- True transparency where information is shared early, completely, and in plain language—not just to check a legal box.
- Real accountability where leaders are held responsible for their actions, and change follows when performance continually fails. These changes require a new City Council and a new City Manager—leaders with the independence, skill, and will to rebuild trust from the ground up. El Cerrito’s future depends on more than promises and patchwork fixes. It demands a clean break from the past and the courage to start fresh.
BOTTOM LINE: The city’s systemic problems cannot be solved by the same council members and city manager who created them. Many residents considered a recall, but the city can get three new council members in November 2026 when we vote. New leadership is essential to restore fiscal health, operational efficiency, and public trust.
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 