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Residents deserve transparency before voting on a tax that won’t deliver what’s being promised

El Cerrito is once again being asked to approve a long-term tax measure — this time advertised as an initiative for a new library. But before anyone votes, residents deserve to understand what this measure actually does, what risks it creates, and what it will cost long before a single shovel hits the ground. If you care about responsible spending, transparent governance, and fiscal accountability, now is the time to dig deeper. This measure is not what its supporters claim — and El Cerrito taxpayers deserve the whole story. If you want to stay informed, sign up for updates at www.nomoreforevertax.org. Be informed. Be engaged. Be part of defeating this bad tax.

You Start Paying in 2027. Construction Doesn’t Start Until 2028 or 2029 — At Best

One of the most misleading elements of the June 2026 library ballot measure is the timeline. The City begins collecting the tax in December 2027, but construction for the library won’t start for 2–3+ years after that, and only if the project secures competitive state funding. For a typical 1,700 sq ft home, that means paying $136–$289 per year, beginning in 2027 — years before the project is even viable.

Real Timeline Based on City Statements

• June 2026: Voters decide the measure
• December 2027: First tax bill arrives
• Spring 2027: City applies for state AHSC grant funding
• Late 2027–Early 2028: State decides whether El Cerrito wins
• If approved: 6–12 months for financing to close
• Earliest groundbreaking: Late 2028 or 2029
• Earliest opening: 2031–2032
By the time anyone sees construction activity, the average homeowner will have already paid $400–$850+ in taxes. That is not responsible funding. It’s taxation on speculation.

The Project Might Not Even Be Funded — And There Are No Refunds

Supporters insist the library will be built once voters approve the tax. But the truth is far more uncertain. The City is depending on winning state Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) funding — a competitive, unpredictable grant program. Just last year, Parcel C East scored 85 points (a competitive score) and was still rejected by the state in December 2025. Parcel C West — the proposed library site — faces the same risks. If the grant is denied, the project stalls indefinitely; the library cannot be built as designed; and the city keeps all the tax money. There is no refund mechanism in this measure. Not one dollar would go back to residents. This is a huge risk shifted onto taxpayers, while the city faces no penalty for failure.

The Measure Allows the City to Double the Tax with No New Vote

The ballot language is crafted to sound modest. Supporters promote a tax “around eight cents per square foot,” translating to roughly $136 per year for the average home. What they do not emphasize is that the measure allows the City Council to raise the tax to the maximum — 17 cents per square foot — without voter approval. That means your bill can jump from $136 to $289 overnight.

What the measure really allows:

• Start the tax low to gain voter support
• Raise it to the maximum after bonds are issued
• Do all of this with zero additional voter input
This is not transparency. It’s rate manipulation.

This Isn’t a 30-Year Tax. It Actually Runs 32 Years or forever

Supporters call this a 30-year measure. It is not. The tax begins collection in 2027, but the 30-year clock starts once bonds are issued — likely in 2029. That means residents will be paying this tax until 2059. Two extra years of taxes. No added value. No voter disclosure. More importantly, the city has extended every tax that initially had a sunset.

Residents Deserve Better Than Misleading Messaging

A tax of this magnitude — running more than three decades — should be built on facts, not marketing. Yet this measure:
✗ Collects taxes for 2–3 years before construction
✗ Allows the city to keep your tax dollars even if the project fails
✗ Allows tax rates to double without voter approval
✗ Runs 32 years or more, not the stated 30

El Cerrito deserves a library solution that is honest, financially sound, and built on reliable funding — not one that shifts every risk to homeowners and disguises the actual costs.

Be informed. Be engaged. Be part of defeating this bad tax.

Stay updated at www.nomoreforevertax.org. If we want a library, we deserve a proposal that is transparent, financially responsible, and built on certainty — not a forever tax built on hope and wishful thinking.