Town Hall · El Cerrito

El Cerrito, CA town hall & government

El Cerrito spent $53 million in the year to June 30, 2023, about $2,051 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach El Cerrito's government.

Meetings

Coming up at El Cerrito's town hall

  • Sep 28Mon · 6:00 pm
    Arts and Culture CommissionArts and Culture Commission Regular Meeting10890 San Pablo Ave Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 28Mon · 7:00 pm
    Citizen Street Oversight CommitteeCitizen Street Oversight Committee Meeting10890 San Pablo Avenue Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 5Mon · 6:00 pm
    Community Safety CommitteeCommunity Safety Committee Regular Meeting10890 San Pablo Ave Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 6Tue · 6:00 pm
    City CouncilRegular City Council Meeting10890 San Pablo Ave, City of El Cerrito Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 7Wed · 7:00 pm
    Design Review BoardDesign Review Board Regular Meeting10890 San Pablo Ave Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 12Mon · 7:00 pm
    Urban Forest CommitteeUrban Forest Committee Regular Meeting Meeting page ↗

Recent meetings

  • Sep 23Wed · 7:00 pm
    Park and Recreation CommissionPark and Recreation Commission Regular Meeting10890 San Pablo Ave Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 22Tue · 6:30 pm
    Financial Advisory BoardCANCELLED Financial Advisory Board Regular Meeting10890 San Pablo Ave Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 22Tue · 6:00 pm
    City CouncilCANCELLED - Special City Council Meeting (Interviews)10890 San Pablo Ave Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 21Mon · 7:00 pm
    Economic Development CommitteeEconomic Development Committee Regular Meeting10890 San Pablo Ave Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 16Wed · 7:00 pm
    Planning CommissionPlanning Commission Regular Meeting10890 San Pablo Ave Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 16Wed · 3:00 pm
    Committee on AgingCommittee on Aging Regular Meeting10890 San Pablo Ave Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 15Tue · 5:15 pm
    City CouncilSpecial and Regular City Council Meeting10890 San Pablo Ave, City of El Cerrito Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 14Mon · 7:00 pm
    Urban Forest CommitteeUrban Forest Committee Regular Meeting Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗

Official listings from El Cerrito's agenda portal ↗, checked daily. Times are local. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check the portal before you go.

Town budget

Where El Cerrito's money goes

Spent
$53 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2023
Per resident
$2,051
typical California cities: $2,457
Long-term debt
$16 million
$621 per resident
Fire
$13.2 million25%
Police
$12.1 million23%
Roads & transportation
$7.8 million15%
Administration & buildings
$7.6 million14%
Parks & libraries
$5.5 million10%
Sewer & trash
$3 million6%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$3 million6%
Interest on debt
$715,0001%
Housing & development
$20,000<1%
Other
$102,000<1%

Where the money comes from

  • Fees & charges 32%
  • Property taxes 25%
  • Sales taxes 24%
  • Other taxes & licenses 11%
  • From the state 5%
  • Interest, fines & other 2%
  • From other local governments <1%
  • From the federal government <1%
Town workforce

Who works for El Cerrito

Full-time staff
136
78 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$133,300
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
29
and 35 full-time firefighters
Parks & libraries
16 full-time70 part
Police
37 full-time1 part
Fire
36 full-time
Administration & buildings
16 full-time5 part
Roads & transportation
14 full-time
Sewer & trash
10 full-time2 part
Housing & development
3 full-time
Other
4 full-time

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2022. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

West Contra Costa Unified School District

El Cerrito's K–12 school district, shared with Pinole, San Pablo, Richmond and Hercules. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$21,597
California: $21,206
Students
25,575
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$1.3 billion
at year end

Where the district's money comes from California districts overall: 36% local, 52% state, 11% federal

  • Local 43%
  • State 48%
  • Federal 9%

Of the $21,597 per pupil, $12,382 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Property tax

What homeowners in El Cerrito pay

Typical tax bill
$9,367
a year · California typical $5,124
Effective rate
0.83%
of home value · California 0.70%
Typical home value
$1,124,400
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact El Cerrito's government

🏛️ Official websiteel-cerrito.org ↗

Town hall & decisions in El Cerrito →

Beyond town hall

Who represents El Cerrito

El Cerrito is represented in Congress by Senators Alex Padilla and Adam B. Schiff and Representative John Garamendi. Gavin Newsom is governor.

All of El Cerrito's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

You’re browsing

El Cerrito

California · CA
View town boundary →
Township / city / CDP overlaps possible.
Loading boundary…

El Cerrito is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01