Worried about rising taxes? Concerned neighbors on Nextdoor have been cautioning others on the real reasons they will vote NO on this proposed tax increase. 1. The true price tag is far higher than advertised. While the city touts a $21 million library, taxpayers will end up paying around $75 million to $100 million overContinue reading “10 Reasons Many Residents Do Not Support the 2026 Library Tax”
Category Archives: State Audit
El Cerrito’s Rising Crime Rates
El Cerrito is facing a growing challenge when it comes to public safety. Recent incidents, such as garage burglaries and catalytic converter thefts, have heightened concerns among residents. Unfortunately, these concerns are supported by the data. El Cerrito’s overall crime rate stands at nearly 50 incidents per 1,000 residents, which is significantly higher than bothContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Rising Crime Rates”
El Cerrito Needs Accountability, Not Another Empty Promise
El Cerrito leadership has once again reached for its familiar playbook: making bold claims, downplaying the costs, and hoping residents won’t demand proof. This time, the city is insisting that its library plan is $10 million cheaper than alternatives. But where are the numbers? If such savings existed, they would be prominently featured in publicContinue reading “El Cerrito Needs Accountability, Not Another Empty Promise”
Bringing BART’s Failures to El Cerrito
Before the election, we warned that this would happen—but voters chose Rebecca Saltzman anyway. Now that she sits on the El Cerrito City Council, the warnings have become reality. She has carried over the same pattern of voting for budget deficits that defined her 12 years as a BART Director. Under her leadership, El CerritoContinue reading “Bringing BART’s Failures to El Cerrito”
Leadership Without Oversight Is a Risk We No Longer Afford
Editorial El Cerrito doesn’t exist to generate profit. They exist to serve. But service without stewardship erodes confidence. Residents are more willing to invest when they see clear outcomes, prudent financial management, and leaders who communicate transparently. Unfortunately, El Cerrito is still stuck in reactive mode—approving budgets, signing off on reports, speculative library funding andContinue reading “Leadership Without Oversight Is a Risk We No Longer Afford”
A $75+ Million Gamble El Cerrito Can’t Afford
El Cerrito voters are being asked to consider a massive $75 million+ tax measure for a new library. But before agreeing to decades of new taxes, residents deserve to ask a simple question: what guarantee do we have that this library will ever get built? The city’s current plan relies on the construction of aContinue reading “A $75+ Million Gamble El Cerrito Can’t Afford”
Next Edition: We Need a Better City Manager’s Report
With the City Manager’s next monthly newsletter, residents should expect more than another recap of ribbon cuttings, art receptions, and ceremonial acknowledgments. The purpose of these updates is to give the community a window into the city’s priorities, challenges, and direction. Too often, however, they have fallen short of that purpose. The last newsletter avoidedContinue reading “Next Edition: We Need a Better City Manager’s Report”
El Cerrito City Hall Works 37.5 Hours a Week While the Rest of Us Work 40+
Most working people know what a standard full-time schedule looks like: 40 hours a week—often more. That’s the reality for residents across El Cerrito who juggle jobs, commutes, family responsibilities, and rising costs of living. Yet when it comes to City Hall, the schedule looks very different. According to the posted hours, El Cerrito CityContinue reading “El Cerrito City Hall Works 37.5 Hours a Week While the Rest of Us Work 40+”
What a Transparent El Cerrito Looks Like
We first published this piece in January 2021—four and a half years ago. Sadly, little has changed since then. The city continues to struggle with transparency, financial discipline, and meaningful engagement with residents. Looking back, the concerns we raised then remain just as relevant today. As we head into the next election, these issues areContinue reading “What a Transparent El Cerrito Looks Like”
Known Expenses Aren’t ‘Surprises’
A concerned citizen wasn’t able to speak at the August 19 El Cerrito City Council meeting because the council does not allow remote public comment. Instead, they put their concerns in writing — a reminder of how the city continues to make it harder for residents to participate in decisions that directly affect our community.Continue reading “Known Expenses Aren’t ‘Surprises’”
Key Issues Ignored in El Cerrito’s City Report
The City Manager’s monthly report should provide the community with a window into the city’s priorities, challenges, and direction. But the latest installment, released on August 22, falls significantly short. The timing alone is troubling. By the time the report appeared, its headline item—a wildfire preparedness event co-hosted with Assemblymember Buffy Wicks—was already weeks oldContinue reading “Key Issues Ignored in El Cerrito’s City Report”
The False Choice Between Expenses and Services
One of the most overused lines from El Cerrito’s city leadership is: “Cutting expenses means cutting services.” It’s a simplistic and frankly idiotic statement that City Manager Karen Pinkos and Councilmember Lisa Motoyama have repeated so often they seem to believe it themselves. If that logic were true, the reverse would also be true: addingContinue reading “The False Choice Between Expenses and Services”
The True Cost of the Swim Center Proposals
El Cerrito residents are once again being asked to absorb multimillion-dollar expenses, this time for Swim Center improvements. The numbers presented at the council meeting tell only part of the story. When you read the details, the costs are far higher than what was initially suggested. Option 2: Partial Scope – $2.3 Million This optionContinue reading “The True Cost of the Swim Center Proposals”
El Cerrito Library: Public Safety Data Reveals Risks
In August 2019, a consultant hired by the City of El Cerrito flagged several potential issues with building a new library at the Plaza site. Even then, concerns about safety and accessibility were part of the conversation. Fast forward to today, and fresh analysis of police incident data suggests those concerns may have been well-founded.Continue reading “El Cerrito Library: Public Safety Data Reveals Risks”
El Cerrito’s Pool Repair Plans: Where Will the Money Come From?
El Cerrito has a long history of launching expensive projects before securing the funding—often counting on future taxes or one-time windfalls to fill the gaps. This approach has left the city with dwindling reserves, higher debt, and residents facing repeated tax proposals. The upcoming pool repair discussion fits that same troubling pattern. On Tuesday, theContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Pool Repair Plans: Where Will the Money Come From?”
El Cerrito’s Senior Center: A Promise the City Has Chosen to Forget
In March 2016, the El Cerrito City Council made a clear and unanimous commitment to its residents. Under then-Mayor Greg Lyman, the council voted for the Portola site as the location for a new library and explicitly rejected the “library-only” plan. Instead, they approved Proposal 1b, which included adequate space for a new senior center—aContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Senior Center: A Promise the City Has Chosen to Forget”
Understanding California’s Sunshine Ordinance
In today’s age of information, transparency in government is more than just a buzzword—it’s a fundamental pillar of democracy. Across California, the idea of a “Sunshine Ordinance” has come to symbolize the state’s commitment to keeping government operations open, accountable, and accessible to the public. While there isn’t one single, statewide sunshine ordinance, a mixContinue reading “Understanding California’s Sunshine Ordinance”
Rethinking El Cerrito’s Library Expansion: A Community Approach
A recent East Bay Times article highlights the undeniable challenges facing El Cerrito’s public library: it’s overcrowded, outdated, and seismically unsafe. No one disputes that the current facility falls short of what the community deserves (see the full article here). But the article stops short of asking an equally important question—what’s the most responsible and sustainableContinue reading “Rethinking El Cerrito’s Library Expansion: A Community Approach”
From Residential Street to Bike Boulevard — Without Consensus
Richmond Street has quietly become a test case for street redesign, and residents are feeling the consequences. The city moved forward with dramatic changes — including: Despite months of public comment, emails, and neighborhood meetings, residents’ concerns were minimized or ignored. Feedback about senior accessibility, visitor parking, service vehicles, and overall street safety didn’t meaningfullyContinue reading “From Residential Street to Bike Boulevard — Without Consensus”
How El Cerrito Selects Its Mayor
Let’s start with the basics. Residents of El Cerrito vote for City Council members, not for a mayor. Once elected, councilmembers vote among themselves each year to determine who will serve as Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem. The positions typically rotate annually, and the vote is often ceremonial. The mayor has no executive powers thatContinue reading “How El Cerrito Selects Its Mayor”
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 