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”
Category Archives: performance management
Progress Made, Challenges Remain
Five years ago, the California State Auditor identified El Cerrito as one of the 18 cities in California most at risk of bankruptcy due to fiscal mismanagement. Among nearly 500 cities, El Cerrito ranked seventh from the bottom in financial health and was placed in the state’s “Local Government High Risk Program.” Despite some progress,Continue reading “Progress Made, Challenges Remain”
Why El Cerrito’s High-Risk Removal Doesn’t Mean Financial Stability
The City of El Cerrito has recently announced its removal from the California State Auditor’s High-Risk Local Government Agency Audit Program. While this may sound like a victory, it’s important to understand what this actually means. The “high risk” designation applies to only the worst 3% of cities in California. Being removed from this listContinue reading “Why El Cerrito’s High-Risk Removal Doesn’t Mean Financial Stability”
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”
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”
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?”
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”
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’s Road Conditions Decline Despite Dedicated Funding
El Cerrito residents are increasingly concerned about the state of their roads as the city’s Pavement Condition Index (PCI) score continues to decline. This index, which measures the quality of road infrastructure, shows a significant downward trend, despite a dedicated tax for road maintenance. Recent data from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission/Bay Area Toll Authority revealsContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Road Conditions Decline Despite Dedicated Funding”
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”
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?”
Don’t Be Fooled: El Cerrito Needs Real Change, Not More of the Same
As the deadline to run for office neared, incumbent insider Tessa Rudnick decided not to seek re-election. In response, the insiders quickly rallied behind Courtney Helion as their candidate. However, Helion’s lack of financial expertise is alarming, especially when combined with her unwavering support for the city manager, despite the glaring issues facing El Cerrito.Continue reading “Don’t Be Fooled: El Cerrito Needs Real Change, Not More of the Same”
Outsiders Benefit While El Cerritans Pay the Price: It’s Time for Change
In El Cerrito, a growing concern has emerged regarding the high salaries of city management staff, many of whom do not even live in the city. While they benefit from their generous wages, these employees are largely insulated from the very taxes they approve or advocate for. Instead, the burden of these increasing taxes fallsContinue reading “Outsiders Benefit While El Cerritans Pay the Price: It’s Time for Change”
Tax Fatigue in El Cerrito: A Never-Ending Cycle?
#ElCerrito #TaxBurden #FiscalAccountability El Cerrito residents are staring down the barrel of a probable $300 “forever” tax measure on the 2025 ballot. Many are skeptical, given the City’s history of reneging on promises made during previous tax campaigns. Already burdened by high taxes, including the Real Property Transfer Tax (RPTT) that hit us when purchasingContinue reading “Tax Fatigue in El Cerrito: A Never-Ending Cycle?”
Why El Cerrito’s City Manager Karen Pinkos is Not Fit to Lead: A Timeline of Missteps
In March 2021, the California State Auditor released a report warning that El Cerrito was the 6th most likely among 400+ cities in California to face bankruptcy. This report outlined serious concerns about the city’s overspending, poor budgeting practices, and insufficient efforts to address financial challenges. Under City Manager Karen Pinkos, who took office inContinue reading “Why El Cerrito’s City Manager Karen Pinkos is Not Fit to Lead: A Timeline of Missteps”
The Cost of Overstaffing: How El Cerrito’s Bloated Payroll is Draining Public Resources
In a startling comparison between two neighboring cities, El Cerrito and Hercules, we find an alarming disparity that should concern every resident and taxpayer in El Cerrito. Both cities cover roughly four square miles and serve similar populations, yet El Cerrito’s staff size is nearly twice that of Hercules. This bloated staff not only burdensContinue reading “The Cost of Overstaffing: How El Cerrito’s Bloated Payroll is Draining Public Resources”
Editorial: Why Karen Pinkos Has Not Been Successful as El Cerrito’s City Manager
Karen Pinkos, El Cerrito’s City Manager, has had more than five years to address the pressing concerns raised by the State Auditor, but rather than take meaningful action, she continues to insist that everything is just fine. This lack of transparency and failure to act has done little to reassure the residents of El Cerrito,Continue reading “Editorial: Why Karen Pinkos Has Not Been Successful as El Cerrito’s City Manager”
Why El Cerrito Doesn’t Have a Senior Center: A Call to Action
For decades, El Cerrito was home to a vibrant senior center located behind the library on Stockton Avenue. The Open House Senior Center was a community hub where seniors could gather, take classes, enjoy meals, and access critical resources. However, in 2018, the West Contra Costa County School District reclaimed the building, forcing the cityContinue reading “Why El Cerrito Doesn’t Have a Senior Center: A Call to Action”
Greg Lyman: A Record of Financial Mismanagement and Misleading Narratives
During Greg Lyman’s tenure on the El Cerrito City Council from 2008 to 2020, the city’s financial health sharply declined, culminating in a bond rating drop from AA- to BBB-. Lyman’s leadership failed to adapt to the city’s financial “new normal,” despite attributing the need to draw on reserves to the 2008 recession. This short-sightedContinue reading “Greg Lyman: A Record of Financial Mismanagement and Misleading Narratives”
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 