🚢 El Cerrito’s Library Tax: Boarding the Titanic Again

The Committee for a Plaza Station Library wants your support—and your money. But before you sign their petition or vote to raise your taxes, here’s what you should know.

Who’s Really Behind This?

This campaign may feature Greg Lyman and a few “concerned citizens,” but make no mistake—El Cerrito’s leadership is pulling the strings. City Hall knows it cannot legally promote a political initiative, so it hides behind Lyman, using his name as cover while staying just out of sight.

Mayor Carolyn Wysinger, Mayor Pro Tem Gabe Quinto, Councilmember Lisa Motoyama, and Councilmember Rebecca Saltzman have all thrown their weight behind the library tax. Instead of taking ownership, they’ve let Lyman act as the face of the campaign to keep the city’s fingerprints off the petition drive.

Greg Lyman’s Record: State Scrutiny and Fiscal Despair

Greg Lyman, former El Cerrito councilmember, is the campaign treasurer and co-chair of the library tax initiative. His name is familiar to anyone who’s tracked El Cerrito’s financial unraveling.

The reality:

When Lyman was first elected in 2008, El Cerrito had an AA- bond rating By the time he left in 2016, the city’s rating had dropped to BBB-—just above junk status In 2020, the State Auditor listed El Cerrito among the 10 most fiscally distressed cities in California

That’s not a coincidence. Lyman voted for every major budget, supported tax increases in 2008, 2010, 2014, and 2018, and was at the table when the El Cerrito Senior Center was shuttered. He also served as treasurer for the Measure G scare campaign, which pushed yet another long-term tax under the guise of fiscal survival. Now he’s back, pushing a new long-term parcel tax—$300 per year or more, with no firm project budget, no cap, and no sunset clause.

Enter Gary Pokorny—Again

According to an email sent by the grassroots committee behind the library campaign, former City Manager Gary Pokorny will supervise fundraising efforts. He also contributed $450 to the campaign last quarter. Like Lyman, he was part of the leadership team that helped drive El Cerrito into state scrutiny and fiscal despair.

Even though Pokorny retired with over 35 years of public service, his LinkedIn profile omits his tenure in El Cerrito—a telling omission. If leading El Cerrito had been a professional highlight, wouldn’t it be listed?

Wysinger, Quinto, Motoyama, and Saltzman: The Current Crew at the Helm

Mayor Carolyn Wysinger, Mayor Pro Tem Gabe Quinto, Councilmember Lisa Motoyama, and Councilmember Rebecca Saltzman have all lined up behind the Plaza Station Library campaign. Instead of confronting the city’s ballooning pension liabilities, depleted reserves, and history of overspending, they’ve embraced the same tax-and-spend mindset that nearly bankrupted the city.

Saltzman’s record goes beyond El Cerrito. As a BART Board member, she backed budgets and policies that drove the transit agency to the edge of a financial cliff—with plunging ridership, structural deficits, and a growing dependence on taxpayer bailouts. Now she’s applying the same approach to El Cerrito, pushing another blank-check tax without accountability.

This isn’t just déjà vu—it’s a dangerous parallel. Following Saltzman’s lead means repeating BART’s collapse at the city level. The iceberg is already visible, yet the council insists residents climb aboard anyway.

This council has:

Balanced budgets with one-time fixes, draining reserves instead of reforming spending Ignored repeated warnings from the Financial Advisory Board and State Auditor Spent more than $100,000 on polling to test new tax measures, rather than investing in core services Continued pushing new taxes while essentials like the Senior Center remain shuttered

Backing this leadership isn’t just misplaced trust—it’s climbing back on the Titanic with the same crew that already hit the iceberg.

City Attorney Sky Woodruff’s Misleading Drafting

The lack of transparency extends to City Attorney Sky Woodruff, who drafted the official summary of the proposed library tax. That summary was supposed to neutrally inform voters—but it was riddled with misleading claims, including:

Inflated statements about library use, Promises of emergency shelter use with no requirements, Assertions that funds couldn’t be used for salaries—when they can

Only after a pre-litigation demand letter was issued were seven false and misleading statements removed from the summary. Residents shouldn’t have to fight their own city for basic honesty. This was another warning flare—and yet the same leadership asks you to sail along with them.

It’s Not About Libraries—It’s About Survival

El Cerrito already has a functioning library, run by Contra Costa County, where El Cerrito owns the building and could improve it without new local taxes.

The current proposal calls for a multimillion-dollar facility on BART property that would:

Eliminate parking at El Cerrito Plaza Push traffic into nearby neighborhoods Duplicate digital services that students already receive through WCCUSD.

And the price tag? A perpetual parcel tax with:

No project cost limit, no expiration date, no enforceable financial oversight.

Greg Lyman, acting as the city’s agent, touts El Cerrito’s $20 million in reserves. What he leaves out is just as important as what he says. Most of those funds are already committed—set aside for emergency needs and the Section 115 trust. In reality, less than $10 million is available to cover the city’s ongoing deficit spending. He also fails to acknowledge the city’s growing pension obligations, including a staggering $90 million in unfunded liabilities.

This isn’t just about trust—it’s about survival. Supporting this initiative is like climbing aboard a sinking ship and handing the same crew a blank check to steer again.

Before You Sign or Vote—Ask:

Why should we trust the same officials who oversaw El Cerrito’s financial collapse? Why is this tax uncapped, unmonitored, and unlimited? Why now—when essential services remain unfunded?

El Cerrito doesn’t need another expensive promise. It requires fiscal discipline, real priorities, and leadership we can trust.

Don’t board the Titanic. Say no to blank checks—and yes to responsible government.