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: State Audit
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 Games: When the Narrative Serves the Choices
For years, El Cerrito council members claimed to support its senior community. From 2010 to 2018, the City maintained a dedicated senior center. Then, without warning—and despite having just passed a Real Property Transfer Tax touted as a revenue source for the senior center—the City shut it down. Seniors were left with promises and platitudes,Continue reading “El Cerrito’s Budget Games: When the Narrative Serves the Choices”
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”
Why El Cerrito Residents Should Question the New Library Tax
El Cerrito residents will once again be asked to approve a new tax—this time to fund a library at the Plaza BART station. The campaign is framed as a grassroots effort to promote education and community investment. But behind the glossy messaging lies a troubling pattern of fiscal mismanagement, political maneuvering, and a lack ofContinue reading “Why El Cerrito Residents Should Question the New Library Tax”
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”
Clarity Needed on El Cerrito’s Pool Spending Influenced by a concerned resident of El Cerrito
Influenced by a concerned resident of El Cerrito As the City Council prepares to review Item 9D during the June 17th meeting, questions continue to surface about the scope and cost of planned Swim Center improvements. A concerned citizen has raised several key issues that deserve clear, jargon-free explanations accessible to all members of theContinue reading “Clarity Needed on El Cerrito’s Pool Spending Influenced by a concerned resident of El Cerrito”
UP TO 80% OF CURBSIDE PARKING ON RICHMOND STREET TO BE REMOVED FOR BIKE LANES
The City of El Cerrito has released the updated Richmond Street Complete Street Project plan—dated Monday, June 9, 2025—and the implications for neighborhood parking are serious. Under the proposed plan, 160 of the 247 current on-street parking spaces along Richmond Street will be permanently removed to make way for dedicated bike lanes. Only 88 spacesContinue reading “UP TO 80% OF CURBSIDE PARKING ON RICHMOND STREET TO BE REMOVED FOR BIKE LANES”
What El Cerrito Isn’t Telling You
As residents learn more about El Cerrito’s plan to relocate its public library, troubling patterns continue to emerge—ones that echo a long history of misleading ballot language, murky financial practices, and vague development promises with no realistic funding plan. Here are three major concerns residents should understand: The Parcel Tax “Exemption” Is Not What ItContinue reading “What El Cerrito Isn’t Telling You”
A Library for Her Résumé, Not for El Cerrito: Editorial
From the very beginning, the El Cerrito library project hasn’t been about books, learning, or community need. It’s been about speculative development and the City Manager’s résumé. The proposed library—nestled into the ground floor of a six-story apartment complex across from BART—isn’t being driven by the needs of residents. It’s being designed to impress theContinue reading “A Library for Her Résumé, Not for El Cerrito: Editorial”
El Cerrito’s Challenges: High Taxes and Economic Growth
El Cerrito stands at a pivotal juncture in its economic development. Despite its strategic location and vibrant community, the city struggles to attract and retain businesses. High tax rates and unfavorable comparisons to neighboring municipalities have created a challenging environment for economic growth. The Tax Burden Pushing Businesses Away El Cerrito’s tax structure places aContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Challenges: High Taxes and Economic Growth”
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”
El Cerrito’s “Library Project”: A Gift to the City, a Burden to the Taxpayer
In El Cerrito, they’re calling it a library. But in truth, it’s a full-scale development project—wrapped in community language and funded entirely by parcel taxpayers. The City of El Cerrito plans to build a new library, not as a standalone public building, but as the first-floor “condominium unit” in a six-story apartment complex across fromContinue reading “El Cerrito’s “Library Project”: A Gift to the City, a Burden to the Taxpayer”
🌐 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 🌐”
El Cerrito’s Pension Burden: Rankings Reveal Troubling Financial Trends #4
California municipalities are ranked each year based on key fiscal indicators—including net worth, pension costs, and pension obligations. These rankings, which compare cities statewide, offer insight into local governments’ fiscal health and future sustainability. For El Cerrito, the trend is clear: while the city has improved its relative standing, the underlying numbers still reflect aContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Pension Burden: Rankings Reveal Troubling Financial Trends #4”
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”
The Comfort of Consultants
In El Cerrito, consultants don’t just provide professional services—they provide reassurance. And for a city in financial distress, that comfort has become dangerously convenient. At the May 20, 2025, City Council meeting, NHA Advisors—El Cerrito’s longtime financial consultants—blamed CalPERS investment performance for the city’s soaring $89 million pension liability. But that narrative ignores reality. NearlyContinue reading “The Comfort of Consultants”
Expose Budgeting Tactics in El Cerrito: A Call for Reform – Microblog
El Cerrito residents deserve a transparent and responsible budgeting process—but we’re getting sleight of hand instead. During the cityCouncil meeting today, City Manager Karen Pinkos continued to present an operating budget that deliberately excluded known expenses. These aren’t surprises. They’re foreseeable needs—yet they’re left out of the formal budget and funded later using unrestricted reserves.Continue reading “Expose Budgeting Tactics in El Cerrito: A Call for Reform – Microblog”
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”
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 