El Cerrito council directs staff to prepare five districts with rotating mayor after second public hearing

The El Cerrito City Council voted on May 19 to direct staff to proceed with a transition to five district-based council seats and a rotating mayor.

The council took the action after a presentation from City Attorney Skye Woodruff and consultant Paul Mitchell, and a public hearing that drew speakers both supporting and opposing a directly elected mayor. Woodruff told the council that the city received a March 17 letter alleging racially polarized voting under the California Voting Rights Act and that the council had adopted a resolution of intent on April 21 to begin the districting process. She explained the limited safe-harbor timeline under state law and said completing the process within the safe-harbor can cap the city's potential liability for plaintiffs’ attorneys’ fees.

Mitchell of Redistricting Partners described the mapping process the city will use, including criteria such as equal population, contiguity, compactness and keeping communities of interest intact, and said the mapping tool (youdrawthelines.com) and public-drawn maps will inform three consultant draft maps to be released at the next hearing. Staff also noted outreach plans, including a June 3 community workshop and materials translated into Spanish and Chinese.

During public comment, residents offered varying views: Sue Duncan and several others supported five districts with a rotating mayor as a way to distribute mayoral experience across councilmembers; others warned that a directly elected mayor might concentrate power or advantage candidates able to raise more money. Mike McDougall and Ira Chernow asked for clearer accounting about past library-project costs and the public release of consulting and legal expenses.

Mayor Pro Tem Salzman moved to advance five districts with a rotating mayor; Councilmember Weisinger seconded the motion. The motion passed on a voice vote with all those present saying “aye.”

City Attorney Skye Woodruff clarified after the vote that rotation is a council policy rather than a legal obligation under the CVRA and that the transition will be phased, with some seats switching to districts in 2028 and others in 2030 due to Contra Costa County election timelines.

What happens next: staff and the demographer will prepare draft maps for the next public hearing, present three consultant maps (and maps submitted by the public), and continue community workshops and outreach. The council can still provide direction on mapping criteria and on whether to pursue the alternative of four districts and a directly elected mayor, but the direction taken on May 19 establishes the baseline for staff and consultants as they draft maps.