As the new year begins, residents of El Cerrito may notice a stark contrast between their city’s operations and those of neighboring municipalities. While cities like San Pablo, Richmond, Albany, and Hercules are conducting city council meetings during the first full week of January, El Cerrito’s City Hall remains closed, with staff on a two-weekContinue reading “Why El Cerrito’s Taxpayer Value is in Question”
Category Archives: Budget
El Cerrito Budget: Rising Costs, Fewer Services
Over the past decade, El Cerrito’s city budget has grown from $54.8 million in FY 2015-16 to $65.3 million in FY 2024-25—an increase of $10.5 million, or 19.1%. Despite this significant rise, residents have seen fewer services instead of the expanded programs or enhanced infrastructure one might expect from such a budgetary increase. The closureContinue reading “El Cerrito Budget: Rising Costs, Fewer Services”
El Cerrito: The Case for Ethical Governance
Good governance is not just about following the rules—it’s about doing what’s right for the people you serve. In El Cerrito, recent actions by city leaders highlight a troubling pattern: decisions that may be technically permissible but lack a moral compass and integrity. These choices raise critical questions about whether city leaders put the communityContinue reading “El Cerrito: The Case for Ethical Governance”
El Cerrito Holiday Closure: A City on Pause, But Not Its Paychecks
This holiday season, El Cerrito residents will find city offices closed from Friday, December 20, 2024, through Friday, January 3, 2025. While City Hall resumes regular business hours on Monday, January 6, 2025, the question remains: Why does a small city like El Cerrito shut down entirely for two weeks, leaving no coverage for publicContinue reading “El Cerrito Holiday Closure: A City on Pause, But Not Its Paychecks”
What Did Management and Council Really Do?
They often claim they “worked hard to turn things around,” but here’s what actually happened: • Accepted $6.1 million in ARPA funds • Accepted $4 million+ per year in RPTT • Increased property taxes after revaluation • Benefited from increased sales tax revenue after court decisions ➡️ Over $12 million per year in extra revenues.Continue reading “What Did Management and Council Really Do?”
El Cerrito Leadership: Focus on True Community Progress
Leadership is about setting goals, taking responsibility, and achieving meaningful results. But sometimes, leaders get caught up in celebrating small successes rather at the cost of focusing on the larger challenges ahead. This seems to be the case in El Cerrito, where recent social media posts suggest a disconnect between modest progress and the hardContinue reading “El Cerrito Leadership: Focus on True Community Progress”
El Cerrito’s Removal from High-Risk Designation: A Milestone, Not a Finish Line
Today marks a significant moment for the City of El Cerrito. The California State Auditor has officially removed our city from its “High Risk” designation, a status reserved for the bottom 5% of cities with severe financial vulnerabilities. This milestone reflects the city’s progress in achieving fiscal stability, improving budget reporting, and implementing some soundContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Removal from High-Risk Designation: A Milestone, Not a Finish Line”
Examining Citizen Participation in El Cerrito City Council Meetings
Public participation is a cornerstone of local government, ensuring transparency and accountability. However, recent practices in El Cerrito City Council meetings raise questions about how well the city’s processes align with its ordinances and the principles of open governance. Consent Calendar and Public Input One key issue lies with the Consent Calendar. This section ofContinue reading “Examining Citizen Participation in El Cerrito City Council Meetings”
El Cerrito Leadership: The Risks of Selective Transparency
In her recent State of El Cerrito address, Mayor Tessa Rudnick touted the city’s “large fund balance” as a sign of strong fiscal management. However, this narrative failed to acknowledge a critical detail: most of this fund balance is restricted, earmarked for specific uses, and unavailable to address broader community needs. Moreover, the city hasContinue reading “El Cerrito Leadership: The Risks of Selective Transparency”
El Cerrito’s Fire Service Staffing: A Costly Miscalculation
El Cerrito stands out among its neighboring cities for its unusually high concentration of fire services relative to its population and geographic size. The California State Auditor previously recommended that El Cerrito conduct a staffing analysis to determine the appropriate staffing levels for each classification. However, nearly four years later, the city has disregarded thisContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Fire Service Staffing: A Costly Miscalculation”
El Cerrito’s Capital Improvement Needs: One-quarter of a Billion Dollars!
El Cerrito is facing an urgent and substantial need for capital improvements, estimated by the state auditor at nearly a quarter of a billion dollars. This staggering figure highlights the breadth of infrastructure needs within the city, encompassing everything from essential repairs to crucial building upgrades. Despite the significance of these unmet capital improvement needs,Continue reading “El Cerrito’s Capital Improvement Needs: One-quarter of a Billion Dollars!”
The Looming Pension Crisis: A $98 Million Unfunded Liability
On November 19th, the city council and staff marked the occasion of a $1.3 million contribution to a Section 115 pension investment. Notably, their consultant had advised a minimum contribution of $5 million, but the account was opened with only about 20% of that recommendation. Typically, cities that establish a Section 115 investment account areContinue reading “The Looming Pension Crisis: A $98 Million Unfunded Liability”
Put the right people in the right places, doing the right things – a microblog
Ensuring that the appropriate personnel are in optimal positions and performing effectively is a fundamental principle of management. This principle becomes particularly apparent during the city’s annual budget development. The City Manager frequently dismisses requests for more detailed information or budget modifications with a recurrent excuse: a shortage of staff. This repeated response, which residentsContinue reading “Put the right people in the right places, doing the right things – a microblog”
Mayor Tessa Rudnick: How Will You Lead Differently as a Future City Manager?
Mayor Tessa Rudnick has expressed aspirations to become a city manager one day. This raises an important question: How would she approach governance differently to ensure transparency, fiscal responsibility, and better outcomes for the residents of El Cerrito? With the State of the City Address approaching, now is the perfect time for Mayor Rudnick toContinue reading “Mayor Tessa Rudnick: How Will You Lead Differently as a Future City Manager?”
El Cerrito’s Governance: The Illusion of Transparency
El Cerrito’s City Manager Karen Pinkos often touts her commitment to transparency and public engagement. On paper, her administration checks all the boxes: public hearings are held, presentations are given, and decisions are announced. At first glance, this may appear as the textbook definition of participatory government. However, a deeper look into her leadership practicesContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Governance: The Illusion of Transparency”
The 2019 Warning: El Cerrito’s Financial Woes Began Long Before the 2021 Report
In 2019, the City of El Cerrito was formally placed under the spotlight of the California State Auditor’s Local High Risk Program, signaling serious concerns about its financial health. This was not a sudden revelation. The State Auditor’s assessment highlighted longstanding fiscal challenges that required immediate attention. By February 2020, the Joint Legislative Audit CommitteeContinue reading “The 2019 Warning: El Cerrito’s Financial Woes Began Long Before the 2021 Report”
Four Years After the State Auditor’s Report: El Cerrito’s Financial Challenges Persist
Nearly 4 years ago in March 2021, the California State Auditor released a report exposing severe financial challenges in the City of El Cerrito. At that time, state auditor ranked El Cerrito, the sixth most likely city in the state of California to become bankrupt These issues included the depletion of unrestricted reserves, a structuralContinue reading “Four Years After the State Auditor’s Report: El Cerrito’s Financial Challenges Persist”
Concerns Over El Cerrito’s Unrestricted General Fund Balance
Residents of El Cerrito are raising concerns about the city’s unrestricted general fund (GF) balance due to the lack of transparency in financial reporting. The city does not report the unrestricted balance separately; instead, they group all reserves together, occasionally breaking out portions such as the Section 115 or emergency fund balance. However, the unrestrictedContinue reading “Concerns Over El Cerrito’s Unrestricted General Fund Balance”
Hiding Behind the Brown Act
In El Cerrito, many residents are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of transparency from our city government. It seems that every time we request crucial information—whether about the library project, financial reserves, or decisions made on our behalf—we’re met with the same tired excuses: “releasing this information could harm the public,” or “the documentsContinue reading “Hiding Behind the Brown Act”
Transparency and the Path Forward
The recent passage of Measure G marks a pivotal moment for the City of El Cerrito. With over 80% voter support, the extension of the 1 percent sales tax ensures funding for vital city services such as public safety, emergency response, park maintenance, and senior programs. City Manager’s recent newsletter emphasizes gratitude to the communityContinue reading “Transparency and the Path Forward”
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 