AS WE survey the East Bay election results, we see an electorate less likely to spend money than in the past and telling elected officials they need to be more respectful of voters.

To be sure, with about 160 East Bay races and ballot measures, it's hard to draw universal conclusions. In Alameda County, with the exception of Oakland, voters were willing to approve taxes and bond measures. But in Contra Costa, it was a very mixed bag, with a discerning electorate.

Among the lessons voters sent to elected officials:

Talk to us first. In an advisory vote, Richmond voters soundly rejected plans for an urban casino. For six years, the City Council has been pursuing a path aimed at turning the city, West Contra Costa and, indeed, the Bay Area into a gambling center. The casino would be bigger than two football fields with more slot machines than the largest gaming facility in Nevada. Perhaps voters should have been consulted earlier. Perhaps that explains why three of the four candidates elected to the City Council on Tuesday are casino opponents. The voters have spoken. It's time to kill this idea.

Share the pain. Pleasant Hill voters rejected a sixfold increase in the city's utility tax. The city could have saved about the same amount of money by requiring city employees to pay their share of retirement costs. Currently the workers pay nothing. It's not surprising that Jack Weir, the City Council candidate who proposed that the employees kick in a share, received the most votes.

Make the tough decisions. Walnut Creek City Council members hung tough in recent negotiations with their police managers, insisting that they start making contributions to their pensions. When the rank-and-file cops got wind, they feared they were next and launched a drive to unseat Cindy Silva, the only incumbent seeking re-election this year. Voters figured it out and solidly supported her at the polls.

Stop messing with us. San Ramon voters had been clear before: They wanted development contained within reasonable voter-approved growth boundaries. But city leaders ignored those wishes by placing a measure on Tuesday's ballot to open up to development about 3.5 square miles on the east and west sides of the city. That's an area about 19 percent the size of all the land within the current city limits. Seventy-two percent of voters said no. We wonder whether the council finally gets the message.

We expect ethical behavior. In Hercules, nepotism and conflicts of interest have permeated city government. The two incumbents on the ballot Tuesday didn't see a problem with using public money for no-bid contracts and insider mortgage loan deals. Fortunately, the two challengers did, and that's why they were elected. The city manager at the center of the storm has just taken medical leave. He should be fired, as should the city attorney who has publicly excused this behavior.

Enough already. Residents of the West Contra Costa Unified School District pay to retire bonds for one of the largest school construction projects in the state. They also pay two separate parcel taxes to help fund school operations. Five months after voters granted the district's request to issue more bonds, they were asked on Tuesday to support yet another parcel tax. Voters finally drew the line. District officials must find a way to make do.

Stop fighting among yourselves. Oakland residents already pay huge extra property taxes to help fund schools and the city. It was hardly surprising that they overwhelmingly rejected an additional $360 annual tax to help the city pay for police, and narrowly defeated a $195-a-year additional tax for schools. The latter tax might have passed if city and school officials had coordinated, recognized that residents have financial limits and only put up the school measure.

However, Oakland did receive a bit of a reprieve when voters removed staffing requirement limits on $20 million worth of funds in a previous measure, even through the funds had been administered poorly.