Ballot measure asks El Cerrito voters to raise taxes for a new library

Everyone loves libraries and in El Cerrito, voters are being asked to back that sentiment with a tax increase that would fund a new one. Some say the city instead should show a little more love to the current library, which, with a few enhancements, might meet the community’s needs. 

On Tuesday, El Cerrito voters will decide on Measure C, a 30-year parcel tax that would be used to build a library three times the size of the current one, on land owned by BART. Property owners would pay 17 cents per square foot, generating $3.1 million annually to finance the planning, construction, and a decade of operations and maintenance for the new building. 

Proponents say a modern library would help close the digital divide, boost the local economy and offer resources to help children improve their reading skills. They say it isn’t just a cosmetic upgrade but a necessity, given that the 77-year-old library isn’t up to code with today’s seismic, fire, health or safety standards, and is not fully accessible for patrons with disabilities. 

“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,” reads the argument. It was signed by five community members including Alan Miller, president of the El Cerrito Library Foundation, which is promoting the cause.  

Opponents say the proposed building is too big and the measure supporting it is poorly written. Among other things, they note it would allow City Council to increase the tax without voter approval. They point out its projected cost has gone from $21 million to $37.2 million in three years — a 77% increase without explanation. When the measure expires in 30 years, they argue, the city will have to close a nearly $800,000 hole. 

“We have a library. We own it. It is not going anywhere,” reads the argument written by two members of Neighbors for a Better El Cerrito, which is working to defeat the measure. “Vote no and tell the city to come up with a good plan.”

Post-war building

The El Cerrito Public Library, a small and unglamorous one-room facility, is the busiest branch in West Contra Costa County. Built when Harry Truman was president and expanded to its current size in 1960, the facility has needed some TLC for decades. 

El Cerrito’s quaint quarters lack some of the amenities found in more modern libraries such as large meeting rooms, study spaces and device-charging lockers. Though it would be cheaper to renovate the current library, which the city already owns, proponents of the ballot measure say it wouldn’t make financial sense. 

To bring the library up to code, the usable space would get smaller, and the project would cost around $10 million, which the city doesn’t have, said Mayor Pro Tem Rebecca Saltzman.

One of the locations the city is considering for a new library is the El Cerrito Plaza BART development, which has been in the works for over six years. 

“It sounds like a small investment for a big return,” said Lars Edwards, a library user who finds the “yes” argument persuasive. 

Steven Aresnik, another frequent library user, agreed, saying El Cerrito’s library is in desperate need of an upgrade. 

“My high school library 50 years ago was better upgraded than this,” he said. 

“Is Measure C perfect? No. But if we wait for a perfect measure, there won’t be a new library,” he added. 

Those opposed to the measure say that doesn’t have to be the case. Their issue isn’t against a new library as much as against this plan, which they say wasn’t carefully crafted. For example, they note that the tax would start in December, even though the city doesn’t have a building plan or a definite location, let alone, an actual construction date. 

As two University of California professors and El Cerrito residents wrote in a recent Op-Ed in the East Bay Times, “Supporters are asking residents to write a blank check and trust that the money will eventually be put to good use.”

The measure will require a simple majority to pass. If approved, it would include a citizen oversight board and exemptions for qualifying seniors.