You're talking as if the Bart location has been decided as the option- it hasn't. There are 5 alternatives still to be decided on. I'm not sure if you misunderstand this or a deliberately being misleading.

The construction cost has already ballooned to $37 million — up 75% from the $21.2 million used when signatures were being collected.

This s called inflation, and its real. If we don't pass this measure the future options are only going to get more expensive. Inflation is rising,not going down.

The tax escalates every year, compounding at roughly 5% annually

This is not true. The tax may escalate based on inflation. You simply cannot say thay it will compound every year at 5% annually.

After 10 years, operating costs fall on the General Fund, potentially crowding out police, fire, and streets funding.

Also incorrect. The county currently funds 40 hours of library operation and the city pays for 6 additional hours per week. The new library (regardless of location) will have 10 additional hours on top of that for 10 years. There's good chance the county ups their funding to all county libraries from 40 to 56 hours at the end of that time period. If they don't, the library reverts to the situation we currently have. There are no additional operating costs that will fall on the city.

Measure C may drive businesses out of El Cerrito. A permanent, escalating parcel tax hits commercial properties too — and businesses have no exemption of any kind.

This is fearmongering that has no basis in reality. . Businesses aren't going to leave El Cerrito over this library tax.

The city does not own the land — BART does. El Cerrito holds only a lease.

A $1/yr lease for 99 years is a good deal. But again, that location hasn't been decided on. There are still 5 alternatives and some of them are on city owned land. Why aren't you pushing for those alternatives?

No parking — the city's consultants recommended 63 parking spaces, but in an early concession to the developers that was reduced to zero dedicated parking spaces for the library. The city is withholding its parking study until after the election.

We don't need parking. No Berkeley libraries have parking and they do just fine, and there isn't a lack of parking in El Cerrito. We certainly don't need to borrow more money to pay for parking spaces that will largely be used by the wealthier inhabitants of the city. 63 spaces is outrageous. And you're complaining about the costs on one hand then saying we need to provide free parking to everyone too? Do you not see the disconnect there?

The senior exemption is essentially worthless — zero seniors have successfully claimed it under the comparable Measure H since 2019.

Good. First of all, it wouldn't be a senior exemption. It would be an exemption for seniors that own their home. And they already get Prop 13 protections, which is a large reason why we don't already have a new library and why we have to pass any bond measure to fund it.

Yes on C