El Cerrito’s most significant sources of business revenue come from Safeway, Lucky’s, Honda, Chevron, CVS, STIIIZY, and Trader Joe’s—solid employers and recognizable brands, but not the kind of economic anchors that transform a city. Yet year after year, City Hall turns to residents with another tax measure instead of turning outward with a real economic development strategy.
If El Cerrito truly wants a vibrant downtown and sustainable prosperity, it should look to Emeryville for inspiration—not to its taxpayers for bailouts.
Emeryville’s Blueprint for Growth
Just a few miles away, Emeryville has become a model for what forward-thinking leadership can achieve. Once a gritty industrial town, it’s now home to Pixar Animation Studios, Peet’s Coffee, the Center for Investigative Reporting, Alternative Tentacles, and Clif Bar. Tech and biotech firms like LeapFrog, Sendmail, MobiTV, Novartis, and BigFix (now part of HCL) also call it home.
Emeryville didn’t build its success by overtaxing residents—it built a business ecosystem. The city embraced innovation, streamlined development, and attracted employers that brought jobs, foot traffic, and investment.
Emeryville even boasts a Trader Joe’s and two major shopping centers, generating steady local tax revenue, jobs in the community and economic activity that El Cerrito can only envy. The difference isn’t geography—it’s vision.
El Cerrito’s Missed Opportunity
El Cerrito has every advantage it needs: freeway access, two BART stations, and a highly educated population. But instead of harnessing those strengths, the city has relied on short-term fiscal fixes and serial tax hikes.
High sales taxes drive shoppers to Albany and other cities. High property taxes discourage new families from moving in. And with no comprehensive economic development plan, our commercial corridors remain stagnant.
What El Cerrito needs now are visionaries and business-minded leaders—people who understand how to negotiate with developers, attract major employers, and craft deals that grow both the housing supply and the city’s economic base. We can create housing and financial success without endless taxation, but only if City Hall changes its mindset.
A Better Path Forward
To revitalize its economy, El Cerrito must:
- Prioritize business attraction and retention over new taxes.
- Streamline zoning and permitting to support mixed-use development and job creation.
- Leverage its two BART stations as anchors for transit-oriented innovation.
- Recruit visionary leaders who understand business, negotiation, and fiscal sustainability.
- Develop a real economic plan that grows revenue through partnership, not pressure.
El Cerrito doesn’t need higher taxes—it needs higher expectations. The path to prosperity starts with leadership willing to build, not just bill.
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 
Wow, yes. I think about this daily. How do we start a movement— or motivation for change?
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Unfortunately, this leadership team can’t get us there. We need people who are visionaries as opposed to people who think everything is great now. Greatness lies in those who think far ahead.
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