El Cerrito’s City Manager would like you to believe that the Richmond Street Complete Streets project is a model of transparency and community engagement. In her June newsletter, she thanks residents for attending the June 26 Open House, touting it as a meaningful opportunity for public input. She references nearly a year of outreach, surveys,Continue reading “Transparency Theater — The Reality Behind Richmond Street”
Category Archives: public trust
Richmond Street: The Train Has Left the Station
Informed by a concerned citizen Yesterday on June 26, 2025, El Cerrito management presented their vision for the Richmond Street project—and if you missed the meeting, you can watch the recording here: 🔗 Watch the Presentation 📊 View the Survey Results Let’s start with the good news. There were a few bright spots: Public EngagementContinue reading “Richmond Street: The Train Has Left the Station”
El Cerrito’s Budget Priorities: More Spending, Fewer Services, and Forgotten Promises
El Cerrito is once again on a path toward increased spending—despite acknowledging numerous infrastructure needs that remain unfunded. Instead of addressing those basics, city leadership is setting the stage for higher expenditures in other areas, including potential raises for management. The justification? They’ve “sacrificed” enough- yeah right! Yet, residents are still waiting for real resultsContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Budget Priorities: More Spending, Fewer Services, and Forgotten Promises”
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 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”
El Cerrito’s Financial Reckoning: A Call for Long-Term Responsibility
A recent public comment submitted by a concerned El Cerrito resident—featured on page 735 of the June 3, 2025, City Council agenda packet—highlights urgent and deeply troubling issues regarding the city’s financial practices. The letter, written by Janos Szlatenyi, outlines not only a critique of the city’s current fiscal approach but also a clear warning:Continue reading “El Cerrito’s Financial Reckoning: A Call for Long-Term Responsibility”
🌐 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 🌐”
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”
El Cerrito’s $89M Pension Crisis: Misplaced Blame on CalPERS #3
During the May 20, 2025 presentation to the El Cerrito City Council, NHA Advisors—serving as the city’s financial advisor—essentially blamed CalPERS for El Cerrito’s $89 million Unfunded Accrued Liability (UAL), citing underperformance in investment returns. But that explanation doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Other cities relying on CalPERS are not facing pension liabilities near thisContinue reading “El Cerrito’s $89M Pension Crisis: Misplaced Blame on CalPERS #3”
El Cerrito’s Fire Station Density: A Critical Analysis
Fire protection is one of the most visible and vital services cities provide regarding public safety. But how many fire stations are enough—and at what cost? Let’s examine El Cerrito’s performance in terms of fire station density, risk exposure, and financial sustainability compared to other Contra Costa County cities. More Fire Stations per Square MileContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Fire Station Density: A Critical Analysis”
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’s Library Initiative: A Costly Gamble with Uncertain Benefits
The City of El Cerrito has proposed a new initiative that could dramatically reshape the city’s financial landscape and impose a significant burden on property owners. This initiative, known as the El Cerrito Library Initiative, seeks to fund the planning, construction, and furnishing of a modern library in El Cerrito. At first glance, the measureContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Library Initiative: A Costly Gamble with Uncertain Benefits”
Case Study: Hercules 2012 Financial Crisis: A City on the Brink of Bankruptcy
Hercules is similar in size and population to El Cerrito. In the early 2010s, the neighboring city of Hercules went through a staggering financial crisis. Costly redevelopment gambles, alleged mismanagement, and the fallout from the Great Recession left Hercules teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. This case study examines how a $38 million real estateContinue reading “Case Study: Hercules 2012 Financial Crisis: A City on the Brink of Bankruptcy”
El Cerrito Streets: Promises, Progress, and the Potholes Still Waiting
In 2008, El Cerrito voters passed Measure A, a ballot initiative that promised to fix potholes, repave streets, improve safety, and make our roads accessible for all. The measure authorized the city to incur debt—repaid with a dedicated half-cent sales tax—to jumpstart street repairs. But the potholes and uneven pavement remain. And it’s insufficient toContinue reading “El Cerrito Streets: Promises, Progress, and the Potholes Still Waiting”
Why El Cerrito Must Go Beyond Minimum Pension Payments
At the most recent City Council meeting, the City Manager noted—accurately—that El Cerrito has never missed a CalPERS payment. But what went unmentioned is equally important: the State Auditor criticized the city for only making the minimum required payments. Paying the minimum might check a box, but it doesn’t reflect sound fiscal management. CalPERS providesContinue reading “Why El Cerrito Must Go Beyond Minimum Pension Payments”
Facing Facts in El Cerrito: The Fiscal Conversation We Deserve
As El Cerrito prepares its FY 2025–2026 budget, city staff are touting a “balanced” financial plan. But residents should take a closer look. Beneath the headlines and hopeful proclamations lies a sobering fiscal reality: We are inching toward more profound structural instability, masked by one-time funding shifts and unsustainable reserve draws. The $4.5 Million AskContinue reading “Facing Facts in El Cerrito: The Fiscal Conversation We Deserve”
Bridging the Gap Between Symbolism and Substance
El Cerrito has often been lauded for its progressive initiatives and gestures championing inclusivity and community engagement. However, a closer examination reveals a recurring pattern: while the city excels in presenting an image of progressiveness, tangible outcomes and services often fall short of promises. This disconnect between appearance and reality raises concerns about the city’sContinue reading “Bridging the Gap Between Symbolism and Substance”
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: Lower Fire Risk, But Still More FTEs?
A new set of fire hazard maps released by the state paints a concerning picture for many Bay Area cities. Some communities have seen striking increases in their fire risk, with more homes now classified as being in high or very high fire hazard severity zones. But not El Cerrito. According to the updated data,Continue reading “El Cerrito: Lower Fire Risk, But Still More FTEs?”
Stop the Scare Tactics: Conduct Staffing Analysis in El Cerrito
As budget season continues, residents of El Cerrito are once again bracing for the all-too-familiar warning: “The sky is falling.” For the fifth year in a row, the city manager has refused to conduct the staffing analysis recommended by the state auditor. This analysis is necessary because of the continued trend of having expenitures outpaceContinue reading “Stop the Scare Tactics: Conduct Staffing Analysis in El Cerrito”
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 