El Cerrito’s $53.8 million operating budget is being stretched thin by payroll and pension costs that far exceed those of neighboring cities. Each year, the city spends about $8.5 million on required pension contributions — nearly 16% of the total operating budget — while still carrying an unfunded pension liability of roughly $83 million. That means taxpayers are paying heavily for promises made long ago, with no clear plan to reduce those costs. This is not sustainable. And it’s not fair to residents who are being asked to pay more and get less.
Payroll Pressure and Pensions That Outpace the Region
The city’s workforce has become increasingly expensive — not because of front-line employees who keep services running, but because of a growing concentration of high-salaried management and supervisory positions. While essential city staff are stretched thin, top-level payroll and pension obligations continue to climb. To put that in perspective, El Cerrito spends more per capita on payroll than many peer cities of similar size, yet offers shorter public hours and fewer community programs. Pension contributions have grown faster than general revenues, crowding out funding for road repair, park maintenance, and library services. Each year the city taps into reserves to close the gap — a telltale sign of structural imbalance.
Too Many Chiefs, Too Little Efficiency
One of the most glaring examples lies in the Fire Department, which maintains four Battalion Chiefs — a structure more typical of larger regional fire districts serving populations two to three times El Cerrito’s size. By comparison, nearby agencies such as Kensington, Albany, and San Pablo rely on shared command structures through regional partnerships, delivering strong emergency response with fewer layers of management. These chiefs’ salaries, benefits, and pension liabilities represent a significant recurring expense. Reducing even one Battalion Chief position could save hundreds of thousands of dollars annually — funds that could instead support equipment upgrades, training, or community fire prevention programs.
City Management Should Model Fiscal Restraint
The City Manager’s Office is another area where the organizational chart has grown thicker without a corresponding increase in transparency or service delivery. The city currently employs a City Manager, Assistant City Manager, Executive Assistant, and additional administrative staff — while smaller or similarly sized cities manage to operate efficiently with fewer executive positions. Streamlining leadership doesn’t mean cutting effectiveness; it means aligning resources with outcomes. At a time when every dollar counts, management must lead by example. Fiscal discipline has to begin at the top — not by reducing library hours, deferring infrastructure, or charging residents more, but by rethinking whether every executive role is truly essential.
Accountability Is a Leadership Responsibility
If El Cerrito’s leaders are serious about long-term fiscal health, they must be willing to look inward. The city cannot continue to fund an oversized management structure while drawing down reserves and postponing capital investments. True accountability means evaluating every department — including leadership — for efficiency, necessity, and impact. Residents deserve to see that management is held to performance and productivity standards.
The Path Forward
The City Council must lead this conversation. That begins with a transparent, data-driven review of executive staffing, compensation, and pension exposure — not as a punitive exercise, but as a commitment to stewardship.
El Cerrito’s financial health depends on honest reflection and decisive action. Reducing administrative overhead, aligning leadership roles with service outcomes, and prioritizing community-facing services over bureaucracy are the building blocks of sustainable governance. Residents should expect — and demand — leadership that reflects those values.
Because fiscal responsibility is about trust.
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 