I'm running for a 2nd term on the City Council!

It has been a tremendous honor to serve you as your City Councilmember and your Mayor these past four years.  We have weathered a period of great uncertainty and change, and El Cerrito has come through better and more resilient.  When I started on the City Council in 2020, not only were we in the midst of the pandemic, the City’s fund balance was -$110,000 and the State Auditor had put El Cerrito on the high risk list for fiscal stability.  Today, we have a General Fund balance of $16 Million, of which $9 Million is set-aside as our Emergency and Disaster Relief Fund, and over $1 Million in a trust fund to address our future pension fund needs.  

I am very proud of my part in the work that led us to where we are now: a strong fund balance, restored staffing and services and the return of some of our most beloved community programs, like the Fourth of July Festival.  

I am asking for your support to run for another four year term to insure that our hard won gains and fiscal stability can be maintained for the long term.  

My top goal for my next term is to continue fiscal discipline to ensure that we maintain the progress we have made in strengthening our fund balance, and improving the budgeting process to allow for more and earlier community input.  

I support the El Cerrito Plaza BART transit-oriented development featuring new homes serving all income levels and a new library that will be a community hub and also a climate refuge providing cooling and heating.  This sustainable development will maintain our economic diversity and support small businesses and El Cerrito Plaza retail.    

To encourage bicycling and walking, I will continue to press for a return of bicycle policing of the Ohlone Greenway to increase safety for more users and I will continue fundraising for fire safety, especially in the Hillside Natural Area. As I fundraise for replacement fire engines and trucks and other equipment, I will push for the greenest options available.  

All of these efforts support my vision of a better, greener and safer El Cerrito!