💰 Taxing Our Way to Maintaining Services Hasn’t Worked

For decades, El Cerrito has responded to fiscal pressures with one familiar tool: more taxes. From parcel taxes and storm drain assessments to multiple sales tax hikes and the 1.2% real property transfer tax, voters have repeatedly been asked to approve new revenue streams to “preserve city services” and “prevent cuts.”

Yet today, service levels are declining, crime is increasing, and the city is signaling that additional taxes may be on the horizon.

The evidence is plain:

• Four separate sales tax measures since 2008 have brought El Cerrito’s local rate to 1% — and in 2024, that tax was made permanent.
• Layered parcel assessments for storm drains, landscaping, lighting, and parks continue indefinitely.
• A real property transfer tax was added in 2018, taxing home sales and creating a major new revenue stream.
• Residents still pay an 8% Utility Users Tax on essential services.

Despite these layers of taxation, El Cerrito has struggled to maintain basic service delivery. Streets, sidewalks and the pool remain in poor condition, library access is uncertain, the senior center was shuttered, the city had no service delivery standards and police efforts have not kept pace with community needs. Recent crime trends, including auto burglaries and theft, underscore that higher taxes alone haven’t translated into stronger public safety or better quality of life.

The city must learn to live within its means and improve service delivery. Instead of continually turning to taxpayers for more, leaders should focus on:

• Getting spending under control
• Prioritizing core services over new initiatives
• Improving financial management and accountability
• Building trust through transparency and measurable results

Residents have previously shown extraordinary willingness to support the city financially, but after nearly a dozen tax increases, have tax fatigue. So, it’s time for the city to show that it can deliver services efficiently and responsibly — without asking for yet another tax increase.

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📋 Reference: El Cerrito Tax Measures Since 1993

Year	Measure / Description	Type	Key Details
1993	Storm Drain Assessment	Property Assessment	Funds storm drain improvements; ongoing
1996	Landscape & Lighting Assessment District (LLAD)	Property Assessment	Supports landscaping and streetlights; ongoing
2000	Measure H	Parcel Tax	Parks & Recreation facilities improvement
2008	Measure A	Sales Tax (0.5%)	Street repair and improvement
2010	Measure R	Sales Tax (0.5%)	7-year general tax
2014	Measure R (Extension)	Sales Tax (1.0%)	12-year general tax, raised to 1%
2018	Measure V	Real Property Transfer Tax (1.2%)	Charter city conversion; major new revenue
2019	Measure H (Extension)	Parcel Tax	Extended parks tax indefinitely, no increase
2024	Measure G	Sales Tax (1.0%)	Reauthorized existing 1% tax permanently
2004	Utility Users Tax (Reaffirmed)	Utility Tax	8% on utilities including telecom, gas, water