$80,000 Later, Measure C Is Losing by 72%

Inspired by a concerned citizen

Measure C needed 50% of the vote to pass.

Instead, it currently has about 28%.

Voters did not narrowly reject the measure. They overwhelmingly rejected it.

That makes one question impossible to ignore:

Who should pay for the $80,000 special election?

The City of El Cerrito chose to place Measure C on the June ballot rather than wait for the November election. According to information from the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder’s Office, that decision cost approximately $80,000 in taxpayer funds.

Those dollars are gone.

Those dollars are gone.

Four of the five City Council members argued there were good reasons to hold this election in June. Some cited grant opportunities. Others pointed to project timing, inflation, or the desire to move quickly. Whatever the rationale, voters have now rendered a decisive verdict.

The measure is losing by roughly 72% to 28%.

When a proposal is rejected by nearly three-to-one, it is fair to ask whether spending $80,000 on a special election was a wise use of public resources.

The irony is hard to miss. Residents urged the City Council to wait until November, when the measure could have appeared on a regularly scheduled ballot at no additional election cost. Those requests were ignored.

Instead, taxpayers were asked to fund an $80,000 special election while also being asked to approve a permanent parcel tax.

Now the election is over, the money has been spent, and the voters have spoken. The result is not close. It is a clear and decisive rejection of both the measure and the urgency used to justify placing it on a costly June ballot.

So who should pay the bill?

Under current law, the answer is simple: the taxpayers.

But perhaps there is another option.

The campaign committee that advocated for Measure C raised money to persuade voters that this was the right path for El Cerrito. If supporters remain convinced that the special election was necessary, perhaps they would consider reimbursing the City for the cost of holding it.

Contributions can be made to the Yes on El Cerrito Library Measure C campaign:

At a minimum, residents deserve an honest discussion about why a special election costing $80,000 was necessary when the result was such an overwhelming rejection.

Taxpayer dollars matter.

So does accountability.