A retired Cerritos planning commissioner urged the City Council on Sept. 25 to restore the phrase “so help me God” to the city’s oath of office so local oaths would match the federal wording. Benjamin Au read portions of federal law and the Federal Judiciary Act of 1789, saying omission of the phrase renders the pledge an affirmation rather than an oath.

City Attorney Pam Lee responded on the council dais, explaining that federal and state oaths differ. “Although Mr. Au is correct with respect to oaths of office related to federal workers,” Lee said, “we as city employees and city officials are political subdivisions of the state of California, and the state subscribes its own oath of office for state employees as well as employees of all counties, cities, and other subdivisions of the state. And that is under California Constitution Article 20 section 3.” She said the city’s oath is the verbatim state-prescribed language and does not include the phrase “so help me God.”

Mr. Au had argued the presence or absence of the phrase has implications for consistency with other ceremonial references — he asked whether the city’s invocation and the phrase “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance should also be reconsidered if the phrase were to be added back. The mayor asked the city manager and city attorney to report back; Lee’s response at the meeting clarified that local officials must follow the state-prescribed oath.

(Reporting from the Sept. 25, 2025 Cerritos City Council meeting.)