Cerritos mayor emphasizes public safety, infrastructure and budget work in 2025 State of the City

Mayor Frank Aurelio Yokoyama used the 2025 State of the City address to outline a package of public-safety, infrastructure, economic and budget initiatives the city plans to pursue as it implements a newly adopted strategic plan.

Cerritos's top priorities, Yokoyama said, are enhancing public safety and maintaining long-term fiscal stability. "The city of Cerritos is unwavering in its commitment to the safety and well-being of our people and your property," Mayor Frank Aurelio Yokoyama said. He described recent steps the city has taken to respond to property crime and improve emergency response times.

The mayor said the city has cut average deputy response times for residential burglary alarm calls from 24 minutes last year to about 7 minutes now, increased community safety officers by 66%, and installed automated license-plate recognition cameras at 11 intersections. He also said the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department granted approval for the Cerritos Sheriff's Station to deploy aerial drones in support of field operations, which the mayor described as "our eyes in the sky." These measures, he said, support a forthcoming community safety town hall on July 30 at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts.

Why it matters: city leaders say improving public-safety response and reducing property crime are central to resident confidence and local economic stability.

Budget and fiscal outlook

Yokoyama told attendees that the city is facing fiscal pressure and that expenditures are projected to outpace revenues. He said the city manages an annual operating budget of approximately $128,000,000 and a capital improvement program totaling $23,000,000. The mayor noted that of the city's 9.75% sales tax rate, Cerritos receives about 1 percentage point, and that property-tax revenues are relatively low compared with other cities, a combination that constrains local revenue growth.

To address the gap, council and staff have identified more than $2,000,000 in cost savings and revenue enhancements during the budget review. Yokoyama said the city will conduct a water rate study because "the water rates for Cerritos customers have been unchanged for 4 years, and are insufficient to cover the cost of water delivery and infrastructure." The mayor framed the study as necessary to protect essential services and long-term infrastructure needs.

Infrastructure and capital projects

The mayor said the council will finalize the capital improvement program that includes $23,000,000 for streets and sidewalks, continued reforestation, and water-well modernization, and that staff is taking steps to restore and reopen areas of Heritage Park that have been closed. He also described initial design work on the Del Amo Boulevard bridge project and said Congressman Derek Tran had requested $5,000,000 in federal funding to support the next stages of that work.

Economic development and major projects

Yokoyama highlighted recent and upcoming private-sector activity: new restaurants and retail at Los Cerritos Center, a high-end Starbucks, a new Genesis of Cerritos building at Cerritos Auto Square, and new warehouse construction including a roughly 160,000-square-foot building at Shoemaker and Moore and a 60,000-square-foot building near Edwards and Artesia. City staff are in talks with the property owner Macerich about potential redevelopment of the former Sears building at Los Cerritos Center into mixed use, and the city is preparing to hire a consultant to study a potential Cerritos metro station near the mall as part of Southeast Gateway expansion planning.

Arts, culture and civic services

The address noted continuing investment in the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (CCPA). The city announced a new CCPA membership program offering free memberships to Cerritos residents, said it secured a sponsorship with D&B Audio Technic that will replace aging theater equipment and save the city more than $2,000,000, and plans an economic-impact study of the theater.

Technology and operations

As part of the city's strategic plan goals, Yokoyama said the city is adopting new enterprise permitting and licensing software to allow online access to permits, inspections and licensing and to streamline approvals. He also said the council approved recommendations from a job-classification and compensation study and that hiring processes have been streamlined to attract and retain staff.

Social services and parks

Yokoyama highlighted community services achievements, including partnerships that connected more than 16,000 residents to services in 2024 and nearly 40,000 seniors receiving assistance through the senior center and partner organizations. He said facility reservations rose 53% and program participation rose 34% at the Cerritos Senior Center compared with the prior year. Recreation improvements during the past months included renovated fields at Cerritos Sports Complex, new playground equipment at Gridley Park and 12 new pickleball courts created from dual-use conversions.

Quotations and staff perspectives

"It's a great place just to serve the public," said Bridal Tinker, children's librarian at the Cerritos Library, describing why many staff members find the city an attractive workplace. Yokoyama emphasized the city's strategic plan theme: "Cerritos in progress," and thanked staff, residents and business partners for their contributions.

What the address did not decide

The mayor asked the council for and received consensus to defer public comment on the matters discussed to the next city council meeting on June 26 at 7 p.m. There were no council votes or ordinance adoptions reported during the address itself.

Background and next steps

Yokoyama said staff will finalize the capital improvement program, pursue federal funding opportunities, complete the water rate study, and implement the enterprise permitting system as part of the council's 2025-26 work plan. The city has also contracted a federal lobbyist to advance federal funding requests in Washington, D.C.

Ending: The mayor closed by reiterating the strategic-plan vision and saying the city intends to continue work on public safety, infrastructure and fiscal sustainability to keep Cerritos "strong."