The Cedar Park City Council on an evening meeting read a proclamation recognizing September 2025 as Suicide Prevention Month and heard a student testimony urging the council to convert the proclamation into sustained funding and school partnerships.

The proclamation, read by Mayor James Penn on behalf of the council, noted that suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States and said education, awareness and access to resources can help prevent suicide and support those struggling with mental health challenges. The proclamation specifically cited national statistics in its preamble and “recognize[d] September 2025 as Suicide Prevention Month.”

Ayan Molotina, representing the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention of Central Texas, told the council they had personal experience with suicidal ideation and hospitalization. Molotina, who identified themself as a 16-year-old high school student, linked suicide prevention to gun violence and to school climate: “When we talk about suicide, we can't do it without talking about gun violence,” Molotina said, adding that in the United States “the majority of gun deaths … are suicides.”

Molotina urged the council to treat the proclamation as a starting point: “I hope that it's not just leaving it at a proclamation. I hope that it means more funding, more resources for community based initiatives, partnerships with local school districts and talking about this issue year round.”

Council members thanked Molotina for speaking and noted the council’s interest in community-based prevention and in connecting local resources to schools and residents. The mayor and council did not take formal funding action at the meeting; the item on the agenda was the proclamation and public testimony.

The council’s proclamation cites organizations such as the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and frames the recognition as an opportunity to reduce stigma and encourage help-seeking. The proclamation language included the statement that Cedar Park is “committed to fostering a community of care, compassion, and connection.”

The council made no additional directives at the meeting beyond public recognition and the comments from staff and council thanking the speaker. Future staff recommendations or budget actions to implement new programs were not presented during this session.