Members of the Ceres City Council have cost taxpayers of Ceres a total of $213,066 in medical, health and vision benefits over the past six years, according to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request made of the city of Ceres.

Former Ceres City Councilwoman Linda Ryno made the request in June after Mayor Javier Lopez claimed at a meeting that he wasn’t receiving medical benefits courtesy of taxpayers. Records show that Lopez’s total benefits covered by taxpayers amounted to $47,152.56 from 2021 to the first half of this year. During both 2022 and 2023, Lopez received $17,640 in insurance premiums covered. This year the expenses for the mayor dropped to $326.88.

Ryno said she filed the request as a “transparency thing.”

“There’s some that are sitting on the dais that they just won’t come forward and admit it,” said Ryno. “I don’t understand that. It’s like if you do it, admit it; if you don’t, don’t, but the situation for the city is different now than when I was on the city council.”

Ryno said she took heat from residents who didn’t think she should take the benefits but said “we also weren’t looking at a six percent reserve, and we weren’t looking at laying off any employees. I’m so upset that they chose to lay off the parks worker … I mean if all of that was in front of me, I probably would say, you know what? I can’t in good conscience keep having the city pay for my medical, if we’re gonna get rid of an employee, and if we’re gonna cancel all these contracts. Things are a lot different than when I was on the game.”

Councilwoman Cerina Otero, who works for the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department and has refused to accept city paid medical expenses, has called for the council to end the practice but has been rebuffed by three members who have received them.

Vice Mayor Daniel Martinez, who didn’t come aboard the council until 2023, has cost the most to taxpayers – a total of $90,660 since 2023. Martinez and his wife, Kayla Martinez who is also city treasurer, are both employed and have two sons.

Martinez received $25,080 in benefits in 2023, $25,080 in 2024, $27,000 in 2025 and $13,500 so far in 2026.

Councilwoman Rosalinda Vierra, who works for Modesto Junior College where she collects medical benefits as well, has cost taxpayers $71,309.28 in the less than four years of serving on the council. Vierra said it is not unusual for someone working multiple jobs to have multiple insurance coverages.

“I have had multiple insurance policies over the years to help cover my family’s medical expenses,” she told the Courier.

Vierra also said that councilmembers contribute toward the cost of their medical plans.

“For many years the city paid 100 percent of the councilmember’s medical package premium,” she said. “Two years ago overall costs increased, which resulted in current councilmembers now paying a portion of the premium.”

In 2023 she collected $24,869.28 in city medical benefits, which dropped to $17,640 in 2024 but increased to $19,200 in 2025. In the first half of this year Vierra has collected $9,600 in benefits.

Councilman James Casey, who owns a local business and has medical coverage elsewhere, took only $3,944.28 in benefits in 2022 and nothing since.

The benefits are in addition to the council stipend. Councilmembers receive $500 per month in stipends with the mayor receiving an extra $200.

During a painful budget crafting exercise in June, Otero insisted said the council needs to curb its own expenses for professional development, health benefits and the monthly stipend.

“This is a part-time position,” Otero said. “There are part-time employees who do not receive health benefits. We also need to contribute to resolve this current issue and … if it’s $20,000 (for health benefits), it’s still money that needs to be given back somewhere else into this budget. So I would hope that that’s something that the council would consider.”

On Monday Otero once again called on the council to forego benefits out of budget concerns as well as cut the stipend in half. She was backed by Ceres resident Sue Reynolds.

Vierra opposed dropping benefits and cutting stipends.

“I think cutting the pay actually hurts not the current council members but future generations of future leaders, those that are looking at coming to council,” said Vierra. “Working mothers. I know there was one that was considering running, but she’s like, what about daycare?”

She defended her receipt of benefits, citing behind-the-scenes meetings my with city staff.

“We’re going to these dinners and handing out certificates. We’re not getting in there free. We’re not eating the meals. We’re usually handing out certificates while everyone else is eating and having dinner. We’re also sending welcome letters to new residents that bought their homes in my district. Those stamps came out of my pocket. That was part of my contribution back to the community. I’m engaging with businesses. I’m engaging, working a whole lot with Julian (Aguirre, the Economic Development manager). What’s open, what’s available? What can I promote so I can bring businesses in because that’s key. We need diversity. We need to engage in businesses so they want to come to Ceres, but that takes time. That takes money, that takes strategy, and that’s not money that I get reimbursed from the city, that comes directly out of my pocket.”

She also stated that Ceres has not adjusted the stipend cap since 1984.

“We’re still making the same stipend that they were making in 1984 and $500 there in 1984 is significantly different than what $500 is today and how far that goes when it comes to a lot of what we contribute, not counting inflation and representation.”

Councilman Casey disagreed, saying “those of us who are responsible for the situation that we’re in, we should be the first ones to take the hit.”

He cited how the council, in its budget trimming in June, did away with contributions to the Christmas Festival, the Easter celebration and Trunk or Treat Halloween event and summer Ceres based aquatics program.

“If you ran this office because of the benefits maybe you should rethink it,” said Casey. “We should be running and serving the people for their benefit – not for our benefit.”

The issue of council expenses will likely be a campaign issue leading into the November election. Gary M. Condit, who is chairman of the Ceres Planning Commission and a now announced candidate for the District 1 seat occupied by Casey – he is not seeking re-election – has called for the council to give up its benefits.

“It’s a shame that they haven’t taken the proper measures to cut their own benefits, their own stipend when they’re letting go of employees, when they’re cutting things from Christmas Tree Lane and Trunk or Treat, Parks and Rec, maintenance workers,” said Condit.

Condit said he has amassed approximately 800 signatures of Ceres residents calling for the council to give up benefits.

He noted that the cities of Turlock, Patterson and Riverbank do not offer medical benefits to council members.

Condit has proposed the Planning Commission give up benefits but the idea met with some resistance from fellow Planning Commissioner Dorie Perez – who may also be running for the same council seat – who noted the stipend helps cover her babysitting costs. She proposed that members only be paid $40 per meeting if they attend. Presently members get $80 per month even if no meetings are scheduled.

The commission meets twice a month but has cancelled many meetings due to lack of business.