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Gonzales Youth Council presents year-end projects, asks council to consider more funding
Summary
Members of the Gonzales Youth Council outlined education, tenant-rights and “Adulting 101” projects, marked the council’s 10th anniversary and received proclamations recognizing two graduating commissioners; students requested increased program funding.
The Gonzales Youth Council presented its year-end report to the Gonzales City Council on June 2, describing projects on education, tenants’ rights, youth transition skills and community outreach, and asked the council to consider increased funding for next year’s cohort.
Cindy (adviser, C4 Consulting) opened the presentation by introducing the student commissioners and their projects and thanked the council for attending the recent South County Youth Summit. “My name’s Cindy. I am one of the two advisers for the Gonzales youth council,” she said.
The youth described multiple initiatives: an education project addressing teacher shortages that collected student data and urged the school board to recruit teachers; a tenants’ rights survey and pamphlet intended for community events; an “Adulting 101” workshop on financial literacy, resume building and self-care; visits to the new community center construction site; a substance-use prevention outreach in partnership with SunStreet Centers at Fairview Middle School; and the second annual South County Youth Summit, funded in part by a SOAR asset-mapping grant.
The cohort also noted the council-supported Gonzales Youth Council turned 10 this year and asked the council to “possibly be funded more,” citing tight budgets and fundraising efforts to cover program expenses. Students and advisers asked the council to consider additional support for advisers and programming next year but did not request a specific appropriation at the meeting.
Council members approved proclamations honoring commissioners Valeria Cardenas Pacheco and Emily Mendez. Proclamation 2025-04 recognized Valeria for research and advocacy on youth mental health, housing and student leadership; proclamation 2025-05 recognized Emily for leading a citywide substance-use prevention initiative and youth planning for the Gonzales Community Center Complex. Both proclamations were approved on the consent agenda by unanimous voice vote.
The youth presentation included requests to distribute the tenants-rights pamphlet at city events and to continue city support for youth-led planning for the community center and teen innovation space. The council did not take further budget action at the meeting; staff and the mayor acknowledged the funding request and noted they would consider it in next year’s budget discussions.
The presentation ran about 30 minutes and involved more than a dozen student commissioners and two advisers. The council and mayor participated in photos and certificate presentations following the remarks.
