El Cerrito Needs More Substance and Less Symbolism

El Cerrito spends a remarkable amount of time celebrating things that would happen whether the City Council proclaimed them or not.

Every year we see proclamations, recognition months, awareness campaigns, ceremonial presentations, and symbolic gestures. Pride Month. African American History Month. Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Women’s History Month. Environmental awareness events. Cultural celebrations. The list goes on.

There is nothing wrong with recognizing the diverse people who make up our community. Most residents support treating people with dignity and respect.

The question is whether these activities deserve the amount of attention they receive when compared to the challenges that directly affect the daily lives of El Cerrito residents.

The City’s own Strategic Plan repeatedly emphasizes quality of life, community safety, financial responsibility, infrastructure, and maintaining a high-performing organization. The plan specifically identifies community safety, infrastructure, amenities, livability, belonging, and fiscal responsibility as core priorities.  

Yet many residents look around and see a different reality.

They see a city struggling with long-term financial challenges. They see roads, facilities, and infrastructure that need attention. They see concerns about crime, homelessness, traffic, pension obligations, reserve levels, and the affordability of major capital projects. These are the issues that determine whether people feel safe, whether businesses thrive, and whether families choose to stay in El Cerrito.

Residents rarely ask for another proclamation.

They ask for competent government.

They ask for transparency.

They ask for fiscal discipline.

They ask for accountability.

They ask for measurable improvements to their quality of life.

A successful city should certainly celebrate its diversity. But celebration is not a substitute for governance.

The measure of local government is not how many awareness months it recognizes. The measure is whether residents feel safer, whether parks and infrastructure improve, whether finances are sustainable, whether businesses succeed, and whether taxpayers believe their money is being managed responsibly.

Recognition has its place.

Results should come first.

The residents of El Cerrito deserve a City Council that spends less time telling us what values it supports and more time demonstrating those values through sound decisions, measurable outcomes, and a relentless focus on the issues that actually affect life in our community every day.