El Cerrito’s Leadership Crisis: Culture, Costs, and Consequences El Cerrito is in trouble. Services are declining, costs are rising, and the city’s workplace culture is not productive. This environment doesn’t just erode morale—it drives away top talent and makes recruitment nearly impossible. What’s left is mediocrity at best—and dysfunction at worst. Residents Deserve Better ElContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Workplace Standards”
Tag Archives: government
Why Should We Trust the City’s Financial Information?
When public agencies ask for more funding, whether through tax measures or budget reallocations, they often ask residents to trust their financial stewardship. But what happens when the numbers they present don’t align—even in their own reports? Recently, while reviewing El Cerrito’s financials, a concerning inconsistency emerged. The unassigned General Fund balance for FY 2023Continue reading “Why Should We Trust the City’s Financial Information?”
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”
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”
The Brown Act: What El Cerrito Residents Should Know About Public Comment
If you’ve ever attended a City Council meeting in El Cerrito, you’ve likely heard the City Clerk say something like, “The Council cannot respond to public comment.” It sounds final, almost like it’s against the law for elected officials to engage. But here’s the truth: there’s no law in the Brown Act that prohibits theContinue reading “The Brown Act: What El Cerrito Residents Should Know About Public Comment”
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 City Council Votes to Deplete Reserves—Again
In a troubling echo of past financial mismanagement, the El Cerrito City Council recently voted 4-1 (with Councilmember Ktsanes dissenting) to withdraw $1 million from city reserves, leaving just $11 in unrestricted reserves. This is the same reckless budgeting approach that previously led to El Cerrito’s going concern warning, high-risk designation, and a dismal BBB-Continue reading “El Cerrito City Council Votes to Deplete Reserves—Again”
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?”
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”
The Path to Fiscal Sustainability: Moving Beyond Short-Term Fixes
As the El Cerrito City Council considers steps to address our budget challenges, we must confront a hard truth: continuing to rely on the General Fund’s unrestricted balance as a form of overdraft protection is not sustainable. History has shown us the risks of this approach, and without meaningful action, we risk depleting the veryContinue reading “The Path to Fiscal Sustainability: Moving Beyond Short-Term Fixes”
Defining Financial Health for El Cerrito: Clear Benchmarks Require Clear Expectations
El Cerrito’s financial health cannot be left to broad aspirations and vague commitments. The City Council must be specific about its fiscal goals, setting clear, measurable expectations that guide budget decisions and financial planning. Without this clarity, financial stability becomes more of a hope than a strategy. The City Council Must Set the Agenda TheContinue reading “Defining Financial Health for El Cerrito: Clear Benchmarks Require Clear Expectations”
Progress Made, Challenges Remain
Five years ago, the California State Auditor identified El Cerrito as one of the 18 cities in California most at risk of bankruptcy due to fiscal mismanagement. Among nearly 500 cities, El Cerrito ranked seventh from the bottom in financial health and was placed in the state’s “Local Government High Risk Program.” Despite some progress,Continue reading “Progress Made, Challenges Remain”
Why El Cerrito’s High-Risk Removal Doesn’t Mean Financial Stability
The City of El Cerrito has recently announced its removal from the California State Auditor’s High-Risk Local Government Agency Audit Program. While this may sound like a victory, it’s important to understand what this actually means. The “high risk” designation applies to only the worst 3% of cities in California. Being removed from this listContinue reading “Why El Cerrito’s High-Risk Removal Doesn’t Mean Financial Stability”
El Cerrito Holiday Closure: A City on Pause, But Not Its Paychecks
This holiday season, El Cerrito residents will find city offices closed from Friday, December 20, 2024, through Friday, January 3, 2025. While City Hall resumes regular business hours on Monday, January 6, 2025, the question remains: Why does a small city like El Cerrito shut down entirely for two weeks, leaving no coverage for publicContinue reading “El Cerrito Holiday Closure: A City on Pause, But Not Its Paychecks”
Holiday Message
As the year draws to a close, we want to take a moment to thank you for being an engaged and thoughtful part of our community. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or another tradition—or simply take this time to reflect and recharge—we wish you joy, peace, and the warmth of connection. The holiday seasonContinue reading “Holiday Message”
What Did Management and Council Really Do?
They often claim they “worked hard to turn things around,” but here’s what actually happened: • Accepted $6.1 million in ARPA funds • Accepted $4 million+ per year in RPTT • Increased property taxes after revaluation • Benefited from increased sales tax revenue after court decisions ➡️ Over $12 million per year in extra revenues.Continue reading “What Did Management and Council Really Do?”
El Cerrito’s Fire Service Staffing: A Costly Miscalculation
El Cerrito stands out among its neighboring cities for its unusually high concentration of fire services relative to its population and geographic size. The California State Auditor previously recommended that El Cerrito conduct a staffing analysis to determine the appropriate staffing levels for each classification. However, nearly four years later, the city has disregarded thisContinue reading “El Cerrito’s Fire Service Staffing: A Costly Miscalculation”
El Cerrito Committee for Responsible Government (ECCRG) 