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”
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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”
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”
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”
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”
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?”
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”
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”
El Cerrito’s Unfunded Pension Liability: A Debt That Keeps Growing
City leaders in El Cerrito often attempt to defend the city’s growing unfunded pension liability (UAL) by claiming “it’s not like a mortgage.” And on that point—they’re absolutely right. It’s worse. A mortgage has a fixed payment schedule. You know exactly how much you owe, when it’s due, and how long you’ll be paying. TheContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Unfunded Pension Liability: A Debt That Keeps Growing”
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”
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 Charter City Governance Issues
In 2018, El Cerrito transitioned from a general law city to a charter city, a move that, on the charter City Status: El Cerrito’s Governance Gap. Unlike general law cities, which operate under the oversight and legal framework of the state of California, charter cities like El Cerrito have significant autonomy—and with that autonomy comesContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Charter City Governance Issues”
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’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”
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 