Residents do not pay taxes for a subpar City Hall . Taxpayers pay for services we can access and rely on: permits and plan checks that move on time, inspections that get scheduled, code enforcement follow-up, timely answers from the clerk and the front counter, and a City Hall that is available when people need to get things done.

El Cerrito has been clear about how it operates. The issue is whether the City’s availability matches the level of service residents are funding.

Full-time in El Cerrito is 37.5 hours

El Cerrito’s Personnel Rules define regular full-time as employees who work a minimum of 37.5 hours per week.

That is a legitimate policy choice. But it also means the City’s baseline capacity is smaller than what many residents assume when they hear full-time.

Winter break: City Hall closes for most of the stretch before Christmas and New Year’s

The City’s posted administrative holiday schedule lists a December Winter Holiday Closure from Friday December 19 through Friday, January 2, 2026, with City Hall reopening Monday, January 5, 2026.

When City Hall is closed, residents lose service days on the calendar. That has real consequences: fewer days to resolve time-sensitive issues, fewer counter hours, fewer opportunities to get a live answer, and more delays that spill into January.

How El Cerrito’s closure compares to neighbors

Nearby cities also close for the holidays, but not all do it the same way:

• Pinole: City Hall and Community Services facilities closed to the public Dec 24 – Jan 2, reopening Jan 5, 2026.
• San Pablo: non-emergency City offices closed Dec 24, 2025 – Jan 4, 2026, reopening Jan 5, 2026.
• Albany: City offices closed Dec 25, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026.

This is not about whether anyone deserves time off. People do. It is about the combined service impact when a shorter baseline workweek and a long winter shutdown stack together.

Fact Box: El Cerrito workweek + winter closure vs. neighbors

Item	Details
El Cerrito baseline	Full-time is 37.5 hours per week.
El Cerrito winter closure	Dec 22, 2025 – Jan 2, 2026 | Reopens Jan 5, 2026.
Pinole winter closure	Dec 24, 2025 – Jan 2, 2026 | Reopens Jan 5, 2026.
San Pablo winter closure	Dec 24, 2025 – Jan 4, 2026 | Reopens Jan 5, 2026.
Albany winter closures	Dec 25, 2025 and Jan 1, 2026.
Why it matters	Taxes fund services. Fewer open days means less access and more delay for routine City business.

And it affects public access to City Council, too

Residents reasonably expect the first City Council meeting of the year to occur on the first Tuesday. Yet the adopted 2026 City Council meeting schedule does not include a Council meeting on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. The first January meeting shown is Tuesday, January 20, 2026.

Whether by design or because the holiday closure limits the ability to post required public notice, the practical effect is the same: residents lose the first early-January chance to show up, speak, and be heard. Residents are robbed, once again, of access and urgency at the exact moment the year should be getting started.

Call to action

If this bothers you, do something with it this week:

• Email City leadership and ask for service standards that match what we pay for: City Manager Karen Pinkos (kpinkos@elcerrito.gov) and the City Manager’s Office (citymanager@elcerrito.gov).
• Email the full City Council and request action, not explanations: Carolyn Wysinger (cwysinger@elcerrito.gov), Mayor Gabe Quinto (gquinto@elcerrito.gov), Councilmember Lisa Motoyama (lmotoyama@elcerrito.gov), Mayor Pro Tem Rebecca (rsaltzman@elcerrito.gov), Councilmember William Ktsanes (wktsanes@elcerrito.gov).
• Ask for a simple service-access plan for the December to January period: what is closed, what is open, what is staffed, and what residents should expect.
• Share this with neighbors. Service expectations only change when residents insist they should.