Category Archives: State Audit

In 2016, El Cerrito voters rejected a tax measure. What followed should have been a wake-up call for city leadership. In the years after that failed measure, El Cerrito’s financial condition deteriorated so badly that the city was identified among the small group of California cities considered most vulnerable to fiscal distress. Out of moreContinue reading “El Cerrito Has Been Here Before. Why Are We Being Asked to Trust Again?”

Influenced by a concerned citizen The El Cerrito City Council did itself no favors by extending City Manager Karen Pinkos’ contract through 2029. At some point, residents have to ask a difficult but necessary question: if the city continues to struggle with financial instability, delayed projects, deteriorating infrastructure, service concerns, and repeated requests for higherContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Leadership Problem Continues”

El Cerrito residents are being asked to pay more taxes again. But before taxpayers hand over another dime, there’s a much bigger question that deserves an honest answer: What happened to the money we already approved? Over the past decade, El Cerrito residents have been asked repeatedly to approve new or extended taxes. Utility UsersContinue reading “Where Did the Money Go?”

Across kitchen tables, at community meetings, and in quiet conversations between neighbors, one concern keeps surfacing: How much is too much? I a few weeks, El Cerrito residents are being asked (again) to approve multiple new and extended taxes at the local, county, and regional levels. Each proposal is framed as necessary. Each promises toContinue reading “Worried About Taxes? El Cerrito Is Facing a Tipping Point”

Inspired by research from an informed and concerned citizen. One of the most troubling aspects of Measure C is not simply the price tag. It is the timeline. Residents were repeatedly told that a new library at El Cerrito Plaza would cost about $21 million and save taxpayers roughly $10 million compared to other options.Continue reading “El Cerrito Plaza Library Initiative: Timeline and Trust Issues”

Inspired by research from an informed and concerned citizen. The city’s own numbers don’t add up. Here’s the simple version. Measure C is projected to collect about $3.1 million per year in parcel tax revenue. The annual bond payment is estimated at $2.42 million. That leaves roughly $680,000. Now layer in the cost to operateContinue reading “Who Will Lend El Cerrito $37 Million?”

Influenced by Social Media Posts from a Concerned Citizen Some longtime residents still remember when city hall proposed the big multi-screen mega theater complex near Del Norte BART, the $14 million redevelopment deal involving Dayton-Hudson and Target, and the eventual conversion of that site into a Safeway after Target left for Richmond. That history mattersContinue reading “From Mega Theater Dreams to Measure C: Has El Cerrito Learned From Its Costly Development Mistakes?”

A concerned citizen recently assembled a timeline of city documents, campaign statements, and official reports that raises a serious question for El Cerrito voters: If leaders now say the proposed library could go in multiple locations, why does the public record show years of commitment to El Cerrito Plaza? That question deserves more than campaignContinue reading “The Flexibility Story Doesn’t Match the Record”

Reprint El Cerrito voters are once again being asked to open their wallets. But this moment doesn’t exist in isolation. It sits on top of years of tax measures, rising costs, and growing concern that the City’s financial challenges aren’t being fixed—just funded. For many property owners, this isn’t about a single ballot measure anymore.Continue reading “El Cerrito Property Owners Are Tired—And It’s Not Hard to See Why”

El Cerrito residents are watching something familiar unfold: a polished political campaign built on messaging tactics, carefully crafted flyers, glossy mailers, and talking points that sound persuasive until you stop and ask a simple question. What does any of it actually mean? The Yes on C campaign appears to have embraced a professional political playbook,Continue reading “Spin Without Substance in El Cerrito”

Peter Pan’s Nextdoor post reads less like an objective discussion about public safety and more like campaign messaging designed to help Mayor Gabe Quinto during election season. The timing and framing are hard to ignore. According to the post, Gabe Quinto and Carolyn Wysinger are portrayed as the only councilmembers protecting residents, while the otherContinue reading “Peter Pan’s Nextdoor Post Sounds Like Campaign Messaging”

El Cerrito’s financial challenges did not begin with Donald Trump. They did not begin with changes in federal policy. And they are not primarily driven by reductions in federal funding. That narrative may be politically convenient, but it is not supported by the city’s own financial structure. At a recent meeting, Mayor Gabe Quinto stated:Continue reading “El Cerrito’s Budget Crisis: Beyond Federal Influence”

Measure C supporters continue to promote a long list of endorsements as though names alone should settle the issue. But El Cerrito voters should look deeper and ask two straightforward questions: Were these leaders part of the era when El Cerrito’s finances deteriorated? And do they fully understand what they are endorsing now? Those areContinue reading “Endorsements: Are They Informed?”

El Cerrito voters have received another polished, professionally designed mailer from the Yes campaign. It is glossy, confident, and filled with myths and facts, messaging meant to reassure residents. But once voters look past the slick presentation, the bigger issue becomes clear: major details are still missing, and some of the real impacts are barelyContinue reading “Slick Mailers, Missing Details, and Who Really Pays”

El Cerrito residents are being told this new parcel tax is a citizen initiative. But the more facts that emerge, the harder that label is to believe. The campaign is being led by former mayor Greg Lyman. Even more notably, Greg Lyman reportedly helped write the initiative itself alongside Sky Woodruff. That is a remarkableContinue reading “Citizen Initiative or Insider Operation?”

El Cerrito voters deserve candor, not choreography. City officials are publicly discussing a projected structural deficit of $1.7 million while also highlighting possible service cuts such as reducing six city funded library hours per week to save about $100,000 annually. But many residents know the story may be larger than the headline number. Historically, ElContinue reading “Cutting Library Hours Won’t Solve a Much Bigger Budget Problem”

You’ve just received your voter information guide. El Cerrito voters are being asked to trust the City Attorney’s “Impartial Analysis” of Measure C. But before residents accept that label at face value, they should ask a simple and reasonable question: Can a person who has advised the same city for roughly a decade truly beContinue reading “Can Measure C’s Analysis Be Impartial?”

We watched the forum last night on Measure C, and after hearing both sides directly, our conclusion became even clearer: Still a NO for us. The reason is simple. One side relied heavily on urgency, trust us messaging, and emotional appeals. The other side brought facts, history, numbers, and legitimate questions that still have notContinue reading “We Watched the Forum Last Night. It Strengthened Our NO Vote on Measure C”

Sandy A on Next Door 4/28/2026 Why I’m Voting NO on El Cerrito Measure C “The El Cerrito Library Tax” Not Actually Sandy I support libraries. I support smart development. But Measure C, as written, raises serious concerns for me—and that’s why I’m voting NO. 1) The cost to homeowners is massiveThis measure isn’t aContinue reading “Why I’m Voting NO on Measure C: Follow the Money, Know the Risks”