The City Manager’s monthly report should provide the community with a window into the city’s priorities, challenges, and direction. But the latest installment, released on August 22, falls significantly short. The timing alone is troubling. By the time the report appeared, its headline item—a wildfire preparedness event co-hosted with Assemblymember Buffy Wicks—was already weeks oldContinue reading “Key Issues Ignored in El Cerrito’s City Report”
Author Archives: eccrg
The False Choice Between Expenses and Services
One of the most overused lines from El Cerrito’s city leadership is: “Cutting expenses means cutting services.” It’s a simplistic and frankly idiotic statement that City Manager Karen Pinkos and Councilmember Lisa Motoyama have repeated so often they seem to believe it themselves. If that logic were true, the reverse would also be true: addingContinue reading “The False Choice Between Expenses and Services”
The True Cost of the Swim Center Proposals
El Cerrito residents are once again being asked to absorb multimillion-dollar expenses, this time for Swim Center improvements. The numbers presented at the council meeting tell only part of the story. When you read the details, the costs are far higher than what was initially suggested. Option 2: Partial Scope – $2.3 Million This optionContinue reading “The True Cost of the Swim Center Proposals”
El Cerrito’s Library Plan: Big Price Tag, Shrinking Foot Traffic
The City of El Cerrito is pushing ahead with plans for a 21,000 square-foot library at a cost of over $75 million—and the price could ultimately reach $100 million. The proposed funding mechanism? A $300 per year parcel tax that residents would be locked into forever with periodic escalation. At first glance, investing in publicContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Library Plan: Big Price Tag, Shrinking Foot Traffic”
El Cerrito Library: Public Safety Data Reveals Risks
In August 2019, a consultant hired by the City of El Cerrito flagged several potential issues with building a new library at the Plaza site. Even then, concerns about safety and accessibility were part of the conversation. Fast forward to today, and fresh analysis of police incident data suggests those concerns may have been well-founded.Continue reading “El Cerrito Library: Public Safety Data Reveals Risks”
El Cerrito’s Pool Repair Plans: Where Will the Money Come From?
El Cerrito has a long history of launching expensive projects before securing the funding—often counting on future taxes or one-time windfalls to fill the gaps. This approach has left the city with dwindling reserves, higher debt, and residents facing repeated tax proposals. The upcoming pool repair discussion fits that same troubling pattern. On Tuesday, theContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Pool Repair Plans: Where Will the Money Come From?”
El Cerrito’s Senior Center: A Promise the City Has Chosen to Forget
In March 2016, the El Cerrito City Council made a clear and unanimous commitment to its residents. Under then-Mayor Greg Lyman, the council voted for the Portola site as the location for a new library and explicitly rejected the “library-only” plan. Instead, they approved Proposal 1b, which included adequate space for a new senior center—aContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Senior Center: A Promise the City Has Chosen to Forget”
Understanding California’s Sunshine Ordinance
In today’s age of information, transparency in government is more than just a buzzword—it’s a fundamental pillar of democracy. Across California, the idea of a “Sunshine Ordinance” has come to symbolize the state’s commitment to keeping government operations open, accountable, and accessible to the public. While there isn’t one single, statewide sunshine ordinance, a mixContinue reading “Understanding California’s Sunshine Ordinance”
Rethinking El Cerrito’s Library Expansion: A Community Approach
A recent East Bay Times article highlights the undeniable challenges facing El Cerrito’s public library: it’s overcrowded, outdated, and seismically unsafe. No one disputes that the current facility falls short of what the community deserves (see the full article here). But the article stops short of asking an equally important question—what’s the most responsible and sustainableContinue reading “Rethinking El Cerrito’s Library Expansion: A Community Approach”
A History of Broken Promises and Misplaced Priorities
Thank you to the neighbors and community members who continue raising essential questions about how our city spends taxpayer money. It’s not just about one issue—it’s about a decades-long pattern of financial decisions that don’t align with the promises made to voters. Remember Measure D? In 2008, El Cerrito voters approved a 30-year bond (MeasureContinue reading “A History of Broken Promises and Misplaced Priorities”
From Residential Street to Bike Boulevard — Without Consensus
Richmond Street has quietly become a test case for street redesign, and residents are feeling the consequences. The city moved forward with dramatic changes — including: Despite months of public comment, emails, and neighborhood meetings, residents’ concerns were minimized or ignored. Feedback about senior accessibility, visitor parking, service vehicles, and overall street safety didn’t meaningfullyContinue reading “From Residential Street to Bike Boulevard — Without Consensus”
How El Cerrito Selects Its Mayor
Let’s start with the basics. Residents of El Cerrito vote for City Council members, not for a mayor. Once elected, councilmembers vote among themselves each year to determine who will serve as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem. The positions typically rotate annually, and the vote is often ceremonial. The mayor has no executive powers thatContinue reading “How El Cerrito Selects Its Mayor”
El Cerrito Library Campaign v3.1
The Committee for a Plaza Station Library wants your support—and your money. But before you sign their petition or vote to raise your taxes, here’s what you should know. According to their own campaign filing, the Committee spent $12,125.68 in the last quarter alone. That includes: $203.89 paid to John Stashik’s Premier Graphics for 500Continue reading “El Cerrito Library Campaign v3.1”
Local Data Analyst Starts Blog on El Cerrito Finances!
Ira Sharenow, an El Cerrito–based data analyst who has educated the local community on city finances and other civic issues through Nextdoor, has launched a new blog focused on El Cerrito’s financial health and department performance. His first post dives into El Cerrito’s CalPERS Unfunded Accrued Liability (UAL), offering clear analysis, charts, and a full report. Read theContinue reading “Local Data Analyst Starts Blog on El Cerrito Finances! “
Who Really Benefits from El Cerrito’s $75 Million Library Plan?
El Cerrito already owns the land where our current library sits. Let that sink in. Under the City’s proposed $75 million library tax plan, we would give up ownership of that land and become renters—yes, renters—for a lease vs property we already own. And not only would we lose ownership, we’d still be responsible forContinue reading “Who Really Benefits from El Cerrito’s $75 Million Library Plan?”
The Real Reason El Cerrito Isn’t Talking About Unrestricted Reserves Part II
Since FY22–23, El Cerrito’s unrestricted General Fund reserves have been in steady decline. And it’s no accident. Behind the scenes, the City has been quietly drawing down those reserves—while hoping the public won’t notice. Why? Because they’re counting on voters to approve the so-called “Forever Tax” to plug the holes. In 2023, the City CouncilContinue reading “The Real Reason El Cerrito Isn’t Talking About Unrestricted Reserves Part II”
🚨 El Cerrito’s Pension Time Bomb: Nearly $90 Million in Unfunded Liability—and No Real Plan
As CalPERS, the nation’s largest public pension fund, faces scrutiny over its growing investments in private equity, the City of El Cerrito is sitting on a fiscal time bomb: nearly $90 million in unfunded pension liability—and climbing. This burden, driven by a bloated payroll and decades of financial mismanagement, poses a threat to the city’s long-termContinue reading “🚨 El Cerrito’s Pension Time Bomb: Nearly $90 Million in Unfunded Liability—and No Real Plan”
Running on Empty
An Editorial El Cerrito’s silence on reserves raises real questions about liquidity, transparency, and long-term stability. For years now, El Cerrito’s leadership has assured residents that the city is on stable financial footing. They point to a “balanced budget,” downplay concerns about spending, and avoid discussing the one figure that tells the real story: unrestrictedContinue reading “Running on Empty”
El Cerrito Leadership: Delivering on Promises or Just Optics?
With the November 2026 El Cerrito municipal election just over a year away, now is the time for voters to examine whether the city’s leadership is truly delivering on promises—or simply performing for the spotlight. Since the pandemic, Council member‑turned‑Mayor Wysinger has repeatedly voted to tap into El Cerrito’s unrestricted reserves to plug budget holes. This pattern ofContinue reading “El Cerrito Leadership: Delivering on Promises or Just Optics?”
Gabe Quinto’s Voting Record: Promises vs. Actions
It’s not easy to ask hard questions, especially when public discourse is limited and tightly controlled. However, as the November 2026 election approaches, we must take a clear-eyed, data-driven look at the record of El Cerrito’s longest-serving council member, Gabe Quinto. Councilmember Quinto often speaks passionately about equity, fiscal responsibility, and public safety. But whenContinue reading “Gabe Quinto’s Voting Record: Promises vs. Actions”
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 