El Cerrito residents already pay a dedicated pool tax, yet the City Council is now considering using more of the General Fund reserves to repair the Swim Center’s lap pool. This isn’t about a lack of funding — it’s about how the City has managed (or failed to manage) the money it already collects. AContinue reading “Why El Cerrito Needs a Capital Renewal Plan Now”
Category Archives: Budget
El Cerrito’s Leadership Problem: Passion Without Performance
Rising costs, shrinking services, and weak fiscal oversight are signs of a city led by well-meaning advocates—not disciplined stewards. El Cerrito residents are paying more but getting less. Service delivery has declined, costs have risen, and the city has repeatedly drawn on its reserves to balance its budget. The result: a community with stretched publicContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Leadership Problem: Passion Without Performance”
Too Many Staff, Too Little Service
Staffing Levels: A Key Driver of Payroll, Pension Costs, and Declining Productivity El Cerrito’s staffing structure is significantly larger and more expensive than those of peer cities of similar size. This isn’t just about “overhead” — it’s a major driver of payroll and pension costs that are consuming the city’s operating budget. The city’s $53.8Continue reading “Too Many Staff, Too Little Service”
Bond Ratings Up, But Paid For With Your Taxes and One-Time Funds
Federal relief dollars, new taxes, and emergency fund raids aren’t financial stewardship — they’re passing the buck. In the September 2025 City Manager’s report, El Cerrito highlighted what it framed as good news: S&P Global Ratings raised the City’s bond ratings to A+ and A-, with a positive outlook for future upgrades. This was presentedContinue reading “Bond Ratings Up, But Paid For With Your Taxes and One-Time Funds”
El Cerrito Needs An Overhaul—Not Cosmetic Fixes
El Cerrito’s problems run far deeper than budget shortfalls and service delays. They are systemic—rooted in a culture of poor financial stewardship, opaque decision-making, and an entrenched unwillingness to hold leadership accountable. These challenges cannot be resolved by tinkering at the margins or by trusting the same people who created them to suddenly reverse course.Continue reading “El Cerrito Needs An Overhaul—Not Cosmetic Fixes”
Grasping at Straws
Proponents of the massive and costly library are grasping at straws. Some community members and leaders in El Cerrito argue that our city’s library is underused because it is “too old.” The implication is that if only we spent $75 million or more on a massive and costly new facility, people would suddenly flock backContinue reading “Grasping at Straws”
Image First, City A Distant Second
The City Manager is supposed to be the city’s CEO and chief strategist — the person responsible for setting priorities, stewarding resources, and ensuring residents receive the services they depend on. But in El Cerrito, the record tells a different story. The City hasn’t really recovered from her lack of focus. El Cerrito’s finances remainContinue reading “Image First, City A Distant Second”
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”
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”
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 Budget: Eight Years of Red Flags, Backed by Data
El Cerrito’s budget problems are no secret—but too often, they’re discussed in the abstract. This post provides clear, verifiable evidence that over the past eight years, the City has been living beyond its means. The numbers are drawn directly from official city documents and CalPERS reports. The analysis is nonpartisan and was created to inform—notContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Budget: Eight Years of Red Flags, Backed by Data”
Library Tax Risks: A Local’s Perspective
A concerned citizen would like to add their perspective to a recent post on Nextdoor, which they believe deserves a second read. The proposed library tax may sound appealing on the surface, but it carries long-term financial consequences that have not been fully explained. Before signing the petition or casting a vote, residents are urgedContinue reading “Library Tax Risks: A Local’s Perspective”
“Seniors Deserve More Than Lip Service”
— Reflections from El Cerrito’s July 4 Event By Concerned Citizens At the July 4 celebration in El Cerrito — a day filled with vendor booths, food, and community spirit — we had the opportunity to speak with Will Provost. Amid the festivities, we discussed something far more serious: how to ensure that senior issuesContinue reading ““Seniors Deserve More Than Lip Service””
El Cerrito Library Campaign Has Significant Presence at July 4 Event
— But Where’s the Cost Analysis? And long-term Forecast From a Concerned Citizen At this year’s July 4 celebration in Cerrito Vista Park, the campaign to build a new El Cerrito library was out in full force — banners, booths, and volunteers circulating petitions for a proposed parcel tax to fund an inaccessible “trophy library”Continue reading “El Cerrito Library Campaign Has Significant Presence at July 4 Event”
Why El Cerrito Residents Should Question the New Library Tax
El Cerrito residents will once again be asked to approve a new tax—this time to fund a library at the Plaza BART station. The campaign is framed as a grassroots effort to promote education and community investment. But behind the glossy messaging lies a troubling pattern of fiscal mismanagement, political maneuvering, and a lack ofContinue reading “Why El Cerrito Residents Should Question the New Library Tax”
Budget Approved. Services Denied. El Cerrito’s Fiscal Path Back to the Brink – Again
Despite mounting deficits, rising liabilities, and a shrinking cushion of reserves, the El Cerrito City Council voted 4-1 to adopt the FY 2025–26 budget. The lone dissenting vote came from Council Member William Ktsanes—the only member to stay true to his campaign commitment to fiscal responsibility and transparent governance. He recognized what the others ignored:Continue reading “Budget Approved. Services Denied. El Cerrito’s Fiscal Path Back to the Brink – Again”
El Cerrito’s FY 2025–26 Budget Reduces General Fund Reserves to Cover Operating Gap
At its June 17, 2025 meeting, the El Cerrito City Council is scheduled to adopt the FY 2025–26 budget. While the proposed budget is presented as balanced, it includes a planned $2.3 million reduction in the City’s unrestricted General Fund balance to close a projected operating shortfall—continuing a troubling trend of using one-time reserves to fundContinue reading “El Cerrito’s FY 2025–26 Budget Reduces General Fund Reserves to Cover Operating Gap”
El Cerrito’s Misguided Development Gamble
El Cerrito’s City Council is pursuing a plan to relocate the public library into a high-density development at the Plaza BART Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) site. They claim it’s about modernizing services. In reality, it’s about propping up their speculative “urban village” vision—an idea that casts the library not as a civic resource, but as anContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Misguided Development Gamble”
🌐 One Rule for the City Manager, Another for Everyone Else 🌐
In El Cerrito, we see a troubling example of how power can become concentrated in the hands of a few—an oligarchy. When decisions are made behind closed doors, transparency is ignored, and public input is dismissed, it’s the residents who suffer. The council has allowed city leadership to repeatedly ignore public engagement, preferring decisions madeContinue reading “🌐 One Rule for the City Manager, Another for Everyone Else 🌐”
El Cerrito’s Use of Reserves Amidst Rising Expenses
Have you seen the agenda packet for Tuesday’s city council meeting? El Cerrito’s proposed budget for FY 2025-26 raises significant concerns about fiscal sustainability, particularly in its handling of unrestricted General Fund reserves and a growing budget gap. According to the latest budget report, the City projects General Fund expenditures totaling $53.76 million, setting aContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Use of Reserves Amidst Rising Expenses”
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 