Residents urge El Cerrito council to keep senior exemptions and back Measure C for library funding

Dozens of residents addressed the council April 21 urging support for Measure C, the proposed parcel tax to fund a renovated and expanded El Cerrito library, and asking the council to preserve an intended senior exemption.

Michael Fisher and other proponents described measure language intended to grant an appropriate senior exemption modeled on prior city tax measures. “I am one of the small group that wrote measure C,” Fisher said, and he asked the council to keep the exemption aligned with local practice while clarifying eligibility standards.

Other residents urged voters to approve Measure C to avoid rising construction costs and to create a dedicated fund for library renovation and operations. Some commenters asked for more transparency about the project’s scope and financing — one remote speaker requested detailed information on why the projected cost rose from $21 million to $37 million, whether building at the plaza would still save an estimated $10 million, and a parking‑management plan.

Council pulled item E (Measure C senior‑exemption resolution) from the consent calendar for further discussion; staff and the city attorney clarified that the city intends to use state property‑tax‑relief programs as eligibility criteria but will not require seniors to be enrolled in those state programs to receive the city exemption. The council then approved the remainder of the consent calendar and left the senior‑exemption language for further review.

What comes next: Staff will return with clarifications about exemption criteria and related ordinance language during subsequent meetings as the city moves toward the June ballot.