El Cerrito prepares to swear in new City Council members

El Cerrito City Council will swear in two new members and welcome back incumbent Lisa Motoyama at its Tuesday meeting. 

Official election results show Motoyama taking 30% of the vote, followed by Rebecca Saltzman with 28%, and William Ktsanes with 22%. Courtney Helion and Lauren Dodge rounded out the ballot, with 11% and 9%, respectively. 

The new members will be sworn into office following the mayor’s State of the City address from 5 to 6 p.m.

Voter turnout in El Cerrito was 82%, a 7% decrease from the 2020 election, county data shows. Additionally, a sweeping 81% majority voted for Measure G, which will extend El Cerrito’s 1% sales tax to fund infrastructure upkeep. 

Motoyama said she was grateful for the support, which she took as a vote of confidence in her four years on the council.

“I will work just as hard for the next term, especially minding the City’s finances,” she said in an email. She added that she wants to help make El Cerrito more welcoming and “liveable,” which she defined as having more trees, native vegetation, bike lanes, affordable housing and transit access, among other assets. 

This election marked the departure of two council members, Paul Fadelli and Mayor Tessa Rudnick, both of whom opted not to run for re-election. Fadelli served on the council for eight years, while Rudnick served four. 

“The new City Council has been set up for success. El Cerrito’s budget is stable and has a healthy reserve for the first time in decades, and we’ve hired an exceptional finance team to maintain this work,” Rudnick said.

Fadelli urged the new council to continue the work started in recent years. He also advised them to “move carefully toward rehiring staff and deciding what new services or programs should be initiated.”

Ktsanes thanked the other four candidates “for running positive campaigns that thoughtfully addressed important issues facing our city.”

During his campaign, Ktsanes emphasized fiscal responsibility, accountability and transparency as well as the need for oversight and leadership.

Saltzman noted that with the reelection of Donald Trump as president, the council’s job will be harder. But she said she will work to make sure residents are heard and respected. 

“In my conversations with El Cerrito voters, I was continually inspired by the people of this town. We are a city full of dreamers and doers who believe in inclusivity and care about our community,” she said. 

Saltzman’s comments echo those of Gov. Gavin Newsom, who convened a special legislative session to fortify the state’s defenses against anticipated Trump administration policies.

This includes bolstering legal resources for the California Department of Justice and other state agencies to pursue litigation against unlawful federal actions. The session also allows the state to prepare defenses against lawsuits that could undermine California’s progressive policies. 

(Top photo by Emily Elizabeth Evans)

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