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”
Category Archives: election 2024
The Real Problem: Expenses Outpacing Revenue
One Next Door writer made a good point: The core financial challenge facing the City of El Cerrito is not incremental Section 115 investment strategies or portfolio decisions—it is the fundamental and ongoing imbalance between rising expenses and flat revenue. This structural issue is the root cause of the city’s mounting fiscal stress and long-termContinue reading “The Real Problem: Expenses Outpacing Revenue”
Doing What They Want and Begging for What They Need
Truth is suppressed, not to protect the country from enemy agents, but to protect the Government of the day against the people. —— Essential, But Not Budgeted: The Cost of Poor Planning in El Cerrito El Cerrito continues to show signs of financial mismanagement—this time by failing to include known, essential expenses in the city’sContinue reading “Doing What They Want and Begging for What They Need”
El Cerrito City Council Votes to Deplete Reserves—Again
In a troubling echo of past financial mismanagement, the El Cerrito City Council recently voted 4-1 (with Councilmember Ktsanes dissenting) to withdraw $1 million from city reserves, leaving just $11 in unrestricted reserves. This is the same reckless budgeting approach that previously led to El Cerrito’s going concern warning, high-risk designation, and a dismal BBB-Continue reading “El Cerrito City Council Votes to Deplete Reserves—Again”
El Cerrito Wins CSMFO Budget Award: What Does It Really Mean?
El Cerrito recently received a budget award from the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO), a recognition that may appear to reflect sound financial management. However, it is important to understand what this award actually measures—and more importantly, what it does not. What is the CSMFO Budget Award? The CSMFO budget award is grantedContinue reading “El Cerrito Wins CSMFO Budget Award: What Does It Really Mean?”
Defining Financial Health for El Cerrito: Clear Benchmarks Require Clear Expectations
El Cerrito’s financial health cannot be left to broad aspirations and vague commitments. The City Council must be specific about its fiscal goals, setting clear, measurable expectations that guide budget decisions and financial planning. Without this clarity, financial stability becomes more of a hope than a strategy. The City Council Must Set the Agenda TheContinue reading “Defining Financial Health for El Cerrito: Clear Benchmarks Require Clear Expectations”
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: 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”
The El Cerrito Senior Center: A Case of Neglect and Mismanagement
The plight of El Cerrito’s senior community has become an enduring symbol of the city’s administrative inertia and misplaced priorities. Over seven years after a concerned citizen brought the issue of the Senior Center to the City Council at the October 3, 2017 meeting (timestamp 19:25), seniors remain displaced, and the city continues to evadeContinue reading “The El Cerrito Senior Center: A Case of Neglect and Mismanagement”
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!”
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”
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”
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”
Revisiting El Cerrito’s Spending: Time for a New Approach to City Staffing?
In 2020, the El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) demonstrated that El Cerrito’s spending outpaced that of neighboring cities, putting a significant financial burden on its residents. Fast forward to 2023, and likely in 24/25, the city’s expenses remain higher than those of nearby communities, even as neighboring cities have taken steps to manageContinue reading “Revisiting El Cerrito’s Spending: Time for a New Approach to City Staffing?”
El Cerrito’s Priorities: Legal Fees and Polling Over Community Needs?
Between December 2023 and March 2024, El Cerrito spent over $186,000 of taxpayer money on legal fees with the firm Meyers Nave, alongside approxy $40,000 on polling services from Godbe Research. These expenditures are tied to the City’s push for a new library project, a venture that has raised serious concerns among residents. What’s evenContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Priorities: Legal Fees and Polling Over Community Needs?”
El Cerrito Council Election: Ktsanes Leads Helion, Paving the Way Toward Fiscal Responsibility
As the latest election results roll in, it’s clear that El Cerrito is on the cusp of a significant shift in its City Council. With current vote tallies, Ktsanes leads Helion, signaling that residents are ready to move toward a more financially responsible future. In an area where community engagement and fiscal stewardship have beenContinue reading “El Cerrito Council Election: Ktsanes Leads Helion, Paving the Way Toward Fiscal Responsibility”
Why We Can’t Trust the City to Use the $300 Forever Library Tax or Measure G as Promised
El Cerrito’s financial mismanagement continues to frustrate residents, and two new tax measures—Measure G, which extends the 1% sales tax indefinitely, and a $300 “forever” library tax (yet to be assigned a ballot letter)—are the latest proposals that demand scrutiny. The city has repeatedly broken promises about spending tax dollars, such as diverting federal COVIDContinue reading “Why We Can’t Trust the City to Use the $300 Forever Library Tax or Measure G as Promised”
El Cerrito Measure G: Mercury News & East Bay Times Recommend No Votes
Both the Mercury News and East Bay Times endorse a NO vote on El Cerrito’s Measure G. This measure seeks to make a 1% increase in the city’s sales tax permanent, pushing the combined rate to 10.25%. El Cerrito’s tax rate would remain one of the highest in California, despite an ongoing history of fiscalContinue reading “El Cerrito Measure G: Mercury News & East Bay Times Recommend No Votes”
Why Has El Cerrito Invested So Much in Polling and Legal Firms for the Library Project?
In recent months, El Cerrito has ramped up efforts to move forward with a new library project, spending over $186,000 in legal fees and significant amounts on polling residents. The City has long neglected the library, offering limited hours and resources, so why the sudden urgency to push through a new, costly project? The likelyContinue reading “Why Has El Cerrito Invested So Much in Polling and Legal Firms for the Library Project?”
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 