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”
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El Cerrito Bond Ratings: A Decade of Decline
Understanding Municipal Bond Ratings Municipal bond ratings assess a city’s creditworthiness and directly affect the interest rates it pays when borrowing. Agencies like S&P Global Ratings and Moody’s issue these grades, with higher ratings signaling strong financial health. A downgrade not only reflects concern—it costs cities more to borrow and weakens their financial position overContinue reading “El Cerrito Bond Ratings: A Decade of Decline”
Are Bike Lanes Necessary on Richmond Street? Exploring Alternatives
The Richmond Street Complete Streets Project is moving forward under the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCTA) oversight, which issued the regional Request for Proposals (RFP 23-3) to deliver bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements across Contra Costa County. This initiative is funded through the federal Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program, which supports localContinue reading “Are Bike Lanes Necessary on Richmond Street? Exploring Alternatives”
What Grade Does El Cerrito Earn?
A Civic Report Card Behind the Illusion of Progress El Cerrito City Hall paints a picture of progress—balanced budgets, climate goals, vibrant neighborhoods. However, behind the branding is a different reality. Services have disappeared, debt has grown, and infrastructure has declined. While public statements promise fiscal stability and community investment, the numbers tell a differentContinue reading “What Grade Does El Cerrito Earn?”
El Cerrito’s Budget Illusion
El Cerrito residents are being misled. Despite claims of discretionary spending, the reality is starkly different. The so-called “surplus” is nothing more than a fragile cushion, barely above the minimum reserve requirement—and it’s shrinking fast. Here’s what you need to know. Not Discretionary Funds – Only a Cushion The city’s financial projections show approximately $2.1Continue reading “El Cerrito’s Budget Illusion”
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”
Is El Cerrito Spending Smart—or Just Spending More?
With just 25,000 residents, El Cerrito isn’t the largest city in the Bay Area, but its spending footprint rivals those of much larger communities. For fiscal year 2023–24, El Cerrito’s General Fund expenditures totaled $48.4 million, with $13.5 million allocated to the Police Department and $14.4 million to Fire Services. At first glance, these numbersContinue reading “Is El Cerrito Spending Smart—or Just Spending More?”
How Greg Lyman Helped Send El Cerrito into near bankruptcy —And Now Wants a Blank Check for a New Tax
Before residents are asked to sign anything, they deserve the full story. The City of El Cerrito is facing another push for a new tax—this time for a library at the Plaza BART station. But before rushing into another costly project with no clear financial plan, it’s important to remember how we got here—and whoContinue reading “How Greg Lyman Helped Send El Cerrito into near bankruptcy —And Now Wants a Blank Check for a New Tax”
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”
El Cerrito’s 2025–26 Budget Study: Key Highlights & Risks
On April 15, 2025, the El Cerrito City Council held a budget study session to review the preliminary Fiscal Year (FY) 2025–2026 budget. Budget Manager Claire Coleman presented the budget remotely via teleconference. Unfortunately, significant audio issues marred her presentation, making it difficult for the Council and the public to follow along clearly. Despite theseContinue reading “El Cerrito’s 2025–26 Budget Study: Key Highlights & Risks”
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”
El Cerrito’s Budget: Not as Balanced as It Seems
We told you in April. And now you see for yourselves The City of El Cerrito is preparing to adopt its Fiscal Year 2025–2026 budget. On paper, it’s being presented as “balanced.” But longtime residents and close watchers of the city’s finances know better: this isn’t new, and it certainly isn’t sustainable. In recent years,Continue reading “El Cerrito’s Budget: Not as Balanced as It Seems”
El Cerrito’s Library Plan: A Colossal Failure of Fiduciary Duty
The following blog was heavily influenced by a detailed social media post written by a longtime El Cerrito resident. The El Cerrito City Council’s library campaign to move the historic library from a location that the City already owns—and that sits adjacent to El Cerrito’s largest and oldest elementary school—is pathetic. They’re acting like theContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Library Plan: A Colossal Failure of Fiduciary Duty”
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’s Reserve Fund: A Strong Safety Net or a Leaky Bucket?
The City of El Cerrito plans to dip into its reserves once again, this time pulling another $1.1 million from what it claims is a “strong” reserve fund. What they don’t say is this action reduces unrestricted reserves from $12.4 million to $11.3 million The repeated use of reserves is the exact same practice thatContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Reserve Fund: A Strong Safety Net or a Leaky Bucket?”
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?”
El Cerrito Library Campaign Faces Major Setback
The long-debated plan to construct a new library in El Cerrito Plaza has encountered yet another delay, raising concerns about transparency, fiscal responsibility, and the city’s priorities. Shifting Deadlines and Unseen Data In 2023, residents were told that a $300-per-year forever tax was necessary to fund the new library and that the deadline for passingContinue reading “El Cerrito Library Campaign Faces Major Setback”
Understanding El Cerrito’s Check Register Limitations – microblog
The City of El Cerrito recently released its monthly disbursement and check register. While such reports might seem like a step toward transparency, they offer little insight into the city’s financial health. A check register is merely a list of payments made within a specific time frame, without providing any context about the overall budget,Continue reading “Understanding El Cerrito’s Check Register Limitations – microblog”
El Cerrito’s Tax Challenges: A Barrier to Business Growth
El Cerrito offers a unique blend of community and accessibility. However, despite its prime location, the city struggles to attract businesses and new residents. High taxes and unflattering comparisons to nearby cities—both within Contra Costa County and the Bay Area—pose significant obstacles. The High Sales Tax Problem El Cerrito imposes one of the highest salesContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Tax Challenges: A Barrier to Business Growth”
Karen Pinkos’ Contract Extension: Political Risks Examined
El Cerrito’s City Manager, Karen Pinkos, was recently granted a five-year contract extension despite the city’s ongoing financial struggles, declining services, and growing public dissatisfaction. While this decision might appear to endorse her leadership, it was not driven by confidence. Instead, the move reflects the previous City Council’s political calculation, whose political futures are tightlyContinue reading “Karen Pinkos’ Contract Extension: Political Risks Examined”
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 