BY MATT DURNING //

Residents of El Cerrito voted to support the current direction of their local city government Tuesday, electing council-endorsed newcomers Ann Cheng and Greg Lyman while also reelecting incumbent Mayor Bill Jones.

Cheng, the only woman running and the youngest candidate at 30 years old, won the election with 4,852 votes, or 25.8 percent. Jones received 4,553 votes, or 24.2 percent, and Lyman had 4,364 votes, or 23.2 percent.

In winning, Cheng becomes the first Asian American councilmember in the 90-year history of El Cerrito.

“Those who have the ability and resources to widen the boundaries of inclusion should be encouraged to step up,” said Cheng, reflecting on her victory. “I am very proud to fill this role and definitely hope to cultivate an interest in local government by all ages.”

The two newcomers bring years of professional experience in city planning and infrastructure projects. Both advocate a vision of mixed-use, transit-oriented, sustainable community development in El Cerrito.

Cheng, an urban planner, said her top priority would be making sure there is sufficient community input and involvement in developing the San Pablo Avenue Specific Plan.

Lyman, a civil and environmental engineer and the former chair of El Cerrito’s Park & Recreation Committee, said one of his first orders of business would be to get more trees planted in Canyon Trail Park and around the city.

Both agreed the controversy surrounding the closing of Portola Middle School is a primary concern that requires serious attention.

“The City Council really needs to be active in healing the city’s divide on this issue,” Lyman said. “We need to make sure the [WCCUSD] school board reaches a decision that is in the best interest of our residents.”

Mayor Jones said he was very happy with the election outcome and pleased that all of the candidates ran positive campaigns.

“I think anytime a person gets reelected for a second term it makes them feel good,” he said.  “It’s a confirmation that people think you’re doing a good job, or at least can be trusted moving forward.”

Jones said he expected the next four years to be more difficult than the previous four, citing the desperate financial climate facing California and the country as a whole.

The Mayor said he intends to complete those ongoing projects already with dedicated funding – such as the second phase of redevelopment on San Pablo Avenue and improvements to the recycling center – before taking on anything new.

All three candidates expressed excitement over the outcome of the US presidential election and said they look forward to working in an environment of new ideas and new energy at the federal level.

“Government that is good for Main Street,” said Jones. “Governing rather than ruling.”

The two other candidates in the race, Andrew Ting and David Boisvert, finished well behind the winners with 2,514 votes and 2,477 votes respectively. This was the second unsuccessful city council campaign for both men, who also ran in 2004.

Boisvert congratulated the winners on running a well-orchestrated campaign and said he thought the endorsements they received from the current city council had a major impact.

“I think the voters of El Cerrito perceive that the way the city is being run is good and there is no real need for change,” he said.

Cheng and Lyman will replace sitting councilwomen Jan Bridges and Leticia Moore, both of whom chose not to run for reelection.

Mayor Jones praised Bridges and Moore and said they would be missed.

“Jan and Leticia were always well prepared,” he said. “They put in the extra work to understand the issues and brought some levelheadedness to the process. Although I’m sorry to see them go, I think Ann and Greg will be great additions.”

The new city council will be sworn in during a special council meeting on December 2, the deadline by which Contra Costa Registrar Stephen Weir must certify the election results.  The public is invited to attend.

El Cerrito Focus has obtained the latest campaign finance disclosure documents for each of the five candidates running for city council.

Each election cycle candidates for state and local office are required by law to submit pre-election campaign disclosure statements. The statements – officially known as California Form 460 – detail campaign contributions received, expenditures made, cash balances, and outstanding debts for the period in question.

Campaign finance and disclosure is monitored state-wide by the California Fair Political Practices Commission whose mission is “to promote the integrity of representative state and local government in California through fair, impartial interpretation and enforcement of political campaign, lobbying, and conflict of interest laws.”

The local filing officer for El Cerrito is the city clerk, Cheryl Morse. All filings are submitted to Morse where they become public records, open for public review at city hall.

The most recent pre-election filing deadline was Oct. 23, 2008. Statements submitted by this date cover year-to-date campaign finances through Oct. 18.

El Cerrito Focus reporter Matt Durning has reviewed the El Cerrito City Council candidate disclosure statements and prepared the following data visualizations comparing the candidates’ campaign finances.

The first graph displays totals for each of the major Form 460 categories: (1) monetary contributions received, (2) expenditures made, (3) personal loans to campaign, (4) available cash balance, and (5) outstanding debt.

The second graph breaks down each candidate’s monetary contributions by type: (1) individual donations over $100, (2) individual donations under $100, and (3) donations from associations and/or unions.

Candidates are listed along the horizontal axis in alphabetical order.

*All values listed in $US dollars.

(From L-R: David Boisvert, Ann Cheng, Greg Lyman, Andrew Ting)

BY MATT DURNING //

On November 4th, at least two of the four individuals featured here will be elected to the El Cerrito City Council. The following three-minute video profiles provide a brief introduction to each of the candidates, in their own words.

Because current council members Leticia Moore and Jan Bridges have decided not to run for re-election, three of the five city council positions are “open seats” in this November’s election. Mayor Bill Jones is the only incumbent running for re-election.

Each of these candidates say they would bring unique experiences and perspectives to the council.

Unfortunately, too often citizens are unacquainted with the candidates running for city council in their community when they vote.

Here is your opportunity to get to know them better. For further information, you can visit the candidates’ individual campaign websites using the links provided at the bottom of this page.

David Boisvert

Ann Cheng

Greg Lyman

Andrew Ting

Campaign Websites

• David Boisvert
• Ann Cheng
• Bill Jones
• Greg Lyman
• Andrew Ting

Voter Information

Not registered to vote? Unsure where your polling place will be? Visit our helpful community Voting Guide to get all the information you need.

Related Stories

Budget and safety dominate El Cerrito City Council Forum (ContaCosta Journal, 10/9/08)

ContraCosta Journal endorses Jones, Boisvert, and Lyman in El Cerrito City Council race (ContraCosta Journal, 10/30/08)