VOTE411 Voter Guide

The Question:Shall the measure to fund planning/construction/furnishing a new El Cerrito library, including a new building, and the City’s library operating costs for ten years after completing construction, by authorizing an annual parcel tax of up to $0.17 per square foot of improvements ($100 per vacant parcel), subject to annual inflation adjustments, generating approximately $3,100,000 annually, expiring 30 years after the initial issuance of bonds, with independent audits/citizen oversight and senior exemptions, be adopted?Yes Votes Needed to Pass: 50% +1 (majority) of the total votes cast on the measure by eligible votersFull text of Measure C:https://www.contracostavote.gov/m9002-en/CITY ATTORNEY’S IMPARTIAL ANALYSIS OF MEASURE C:Measure C proposes to fund “the planning, construction, and furnishing” of a library in El Cerrito and “the City’s library operating costs of the new library for up to ten years” by levying an annual parcel tax on all properties in El Cerrito, unless an exemption applies.The initial maximum tax rates would be $0.17 (17 cents) per square foot of buildings/structures on a property and $100 for a vacant parcel. The Measure would authorize—but not require—the City Council to adjust the maximum tax rates annually using an index reflecting changes in the cost of living or personal income. The City Council could not set the rates at a level higher than 115% of the rate needed to extinguish any indebtedness and to pay for the City’s library operating costs during the first ten full years following the completion of library construction. The City Council could set rates below those limits.Permitted tax revenue uses include planning, permitting, environmental review, construction, and furnishing of a new library and the City’s library operating costs of the new library for the first ten years. The Measure also authorizes the City to incur indebtedness to finance or refinance the costs of library construction. Permitted uses are further described in Section 4.58.060 and other sections of the Measure.Collection of the tax would commence on July 1st after the “Effective Date” and continue for 30 years after the initial issuance of bonds for planning and construction of a new library. (Effective Date means “the earliest date legally possible after the elections official certifies the vote” on the Measure.)Because the proposed tax is a “special tax,” revenue must be placed into a restricted account and used only for the purposes described in the Measure.The Measure requires the City’s independent auditors to annually complete a report reviewing the collection, management, and expenditure of revenue from the tax. The report must be reviewed by a new or existing citizen oversight board designated by the City Council.The Measure provides some exemptions from the tax, including for residential parcels if one of the owners qualifies for participation in either or both the Gonzales-Deukmejian-Petris Senior Citizen Property Tax Assistance Law or the Senior Citizen Property Tax Postponement Law. Qualifying applicants must occupy the property and be at least partially legally responsible for payment of the ad valorem tax for the property.Under currently applicable court precedent, the Measure would pass if a simple majority of voters vote “yes.” The required number of votes for approval could be two-thirds if the applicable court precedent changed or a court ruled otherwise regarding the Measure.The Measure was placed on the ballot as the result of a voter-sponsored petition signed by the legally required number of voters in El Cerrito.The above statement is an impartial analysis of Measure C. If you desire a copy of the Measure, please contact the City Clerk at (510) 215-4305 or cityclerk@elcerrito.gov and a copy will be mailed to you at no cost.Dated: March 12, 2026/s/ Sky WoodruffSky Woodruff, City AttorneySupporters Say: Yes on C builds a new library El Cerritans need and deserve.Our library is 77 years old and can’t accommodate our needs:It’s small, noisy, and seismically unsafeIt doesn’t meet today’s health, safety, and fire standardsIt isn’t fully accessible for disabled people, the elderly, to those most in needYes on C builds an up-to-date, 21st-century library with spaces where:Toddlers giggleTeens study and learn new skillsSeniors learn about culture, community and financial securityEveryone has access to computers and free WI-FIWe can teach literacy and read a good bookYes on C provides learning programs, homework help, and reading resources needed to improve student reading scores.Yes on C bridges the digital divide and closes the opportunity gap by offering free high-tech resources to boost workforce development and assist in job resources.Yes on C promotes community engagement, providing a safe space for children and youth programs, senior programs, an expanded library collection, and community meeting rooms.Yes on C boosts our local economy. More visits to the library means a 23% bump in spending at nearby businesses and increases your home value by $10,000.Yes on C means transparency:Our Independent citizen oversight board will ensure the tax is the right amount and the money raised is spent as promisedMandatory financial audits and yearly report to the communityThe tax collected can only be used for costs associated with new library construction and the first ten years of City’s library operating costsTax drops and is constant year 14El Cerritans care so much for our library. We collected signatures from all neighborhoods and walks of life – those who value our community and support a safe, modern library with access for all.Vote local. For factual information: www.anewelcerritolibrary.com Supporters include: Gregory Lyman, Proponent;Linda Takimoto, Retired Educator; Lauren Dodge, Local Community Organizer; Alan C Miller, President of El Cerrito Library Foundation; Todd Hodson, Local Real Estate ProfessionalOpponents Say:Libraries are good. Measure C is a bad deal for El Cerrito.Supporters are asking you to approve a tax costing more than $100 million for a library on land we will never own, in a building that may never be built.It taxes every property at 17 cents per square foot, starting immediately. The city can increase the tax every year using the higher of two inflation measures which has averaged over 4% annually. A homeowner paying $340 in year one would pay over $1,000 by year 30. Landlords will pass the cost to renters.Where does the money go? The city’s strategic plan calls for a library at El Cerrito Plaza. The city would issue tens of millions in bonds to help build the ground floor of the 4th phase of the BART project. In return, we get a lease for commercial space we have effectively prepaid for.That project is years behind schedule. The building has not been designed, funded, or even applied for state funding. You could pay for years before construction begins, with no refund if the library is never built.The measure only funds library operations for 10 years after construction. After that, the city projects a $797,000 annual shortfall requiring another tax or cuts to police, fire, parks, and roads.Supporters promised senior exemptions, but the fine print makes it virtually impossible to qualify. The city used these exemption criteria for other taxes and acknowledges not a single senior has ever qualified.This plan is a great deal for BART and the real estate developer behind the plaza project. But it is a bad deal for El Cerrito.We have a library. We own it. It is not going anywhere. Vote no and tell the city to come up with a good plan.Learn more: www.nomoreforevertax.orgOpponents include: Justin Chang, Treasurer, Neighbors for a Better El Cerrito; Wally Nowinski, Member, Neighbors for a Better El Cerrito