Crowd at the Council

El Cerrito Gauchos football team and supporters. At right in front row: Gabe Quinto and Rob Bonta

Gabe Quinto was sworn in Tuesday as El Cerrito’s new mayor at a City Council meeting that also welcomed El Cerrito High School’s championship football team, its coaches, and many of its cheerleaders and supporters.

The El Cerrito Gauchos won the California High School Football State Championship on Dec. 13.

Football players were invited to Tuesday’s council meeting by outgoing mayor Carolyn Wysinger and warmly welcomed as they crowded into the council chambers to hear congratulations and pose for photos.

Both Wysinger and Quinto attended El Cerrito High School and praised the Gauchos for their hard work and success. Both will be up for re-election in November 2026.

From left, Adarius Pickett, Football Head Coach Tim Johnson, and Jalen Harvey

After the team left, Quinto was sworn in as the 2026 mayor by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who praised Quinto for his work as an 11-year council member in El Cerrito and as president of the League of California Cities.

“No city succeeds alone,” Bonta said. “It requires partnerships. You are a person who will pick up the phone and say, ‘We have a problem here. How can we work it together?’”

Being elected president of the League of California Cities this year shows the trust and respect that members have for Quinto, Bonta said.

Quinto thanked Bonta for helping him to get started as a local politician, and for teaching him to “build the bench” of future leaders by mentoring them. Quinto also said he’s grateful to Bonta for filing lawsuits on behalf of California against the federal government.

Carolyn Coleman, executive director of the League of California Cities (Cal Cities), thanked Quinto for his work with Cal Cities but added that El Cerrito “always comes first.”

“We are so incredibly proud of you,” she said. “Thanks for your leadership.”

Council member Rebecca Saltzman was elected mayor pro tem.

A library tax measure that is expected to qualify for the ballot in 2026 was mentioned several times.

Former Mayor Greg Lyman, who is treasurer of the Committee for a Plaza Station Library, congratulated Quinto and Saltzman and said he looks forward to their support to “move the library forward.”

County Supervisor John Gioia said he hopes voters recognize that Quinto has taken on extra responsibility and extra work by serving as president of Cal Cities and El Cerrito mayor. Gioia added that he “is looking forward to the library.”

Quinto also mentioned the library proposal.

“Let the real truth come out starting in 2026,” Quinto said. “The library is where I was as a latchkey child until 3:30 every day when my mom could pick me up.”

Quinto said his other priorities include public safety, including crime prevention and preparing for wildfires; transit-oriented development and housing at BART, safety improvements on city streets including San Pablo Avenue and Richmond Street, and completing the Del Norte complete streets project.

He said the city’s financial condition is “stable and strong,” which will be helpful as the city begins to update its Capital Improvement Program.

“We are a welcoming city,” he said. “On my street alone we have so many new families.”

Gabe Quinto accepts the mayor’s gavel from Carolyn Wysinger.

In passing the gavel to Quinto, Wysinger said that El Cerrito is an inclusive city where four of the five council members are gay. She said she told people, “I’m passing the gavel now but it’s to another gay.” After that, she anticipates, the next two mayors will probably be gay.

“El Cerrito will be the gayest city in California for at least four years,” Wysinger said with a smile.