(Editor’s note: On Thursday Ceres Mayor Javier Lopez delivered his State of the City address before an audience of about 100 persons, including state Assemblyman Juan Alanis, Modesto Mayor Sue Zwahlen and Hughson Mayor George Carr. This is a complete text of his remarks).
Over the last few years, we’ve charted deep waters and there were moments when the horizon wasn’t clear. We kept moving forward with all hands on deck.
Together our course for the City of Ceres is lead one defined by service, by responsibility, and by a relentless commitment to deliver.
And today, we continue that voyage.
The last few years have shown us something powerful: when this community is tested, we don’t pause—we build. When challenges appear, we don’t retreat—we adapt. And when opportunity knocks, Ceres answers with unity, vision, and action.”
These are challenging and uncertain economic times – our families are feeling it, and so is our City. That’s why our top priority is protecting the essential City services our community relies on. As part of our planning and budget process, the City has worked to hear directly from residents and community members about their priorities. We’ve collected hundreds of responses, and I want to thank every resident who has already shared their input.
Fast 911 response
Maintaining fast emergency 911 response times, hiring and retaining qualified police officers, keeping patrols strong, preventing gang activity from spilling over from nearby cities, clearing encampments, and addressing homelessness are all top priorities for residents. The message is clear: our community wants a safe and clean Ceres. And tonight, I want to share some of the ways we are working to ensure Ceres remains exactly that.
Almost 70% of all 911 calls in Ceres are for medical emergencies like heart attacks, strokes, and serious car accidents. In those moments, seconds matter. When someone calls for help, they need to know that trained first responders are on their way – equipped, prepared, and ready to provide life-saving care. That is why the City is focused on ensuring we have enough on-duty responders with the training and resources to act quickly when our residents need them most.
As a result of the City of Ceres’ fire services contract with the Modesto Fire Department, the City’s level of emergency services has been strengthened and independently verified through an improved Insurance Services Office (ISO) Public Protection Classification. Ceres recently improved its ISO rating from a Class 3 to a Class 2, reflecting enhancements in staffing, training, response capability, and access to specialized resources made possible through the partnership. These improvements extend beyond fire protection and benefit the full spectrum of emergency response, including emergency medical services, by ensuring that well-trained personnel, appropriate apparatus, and command resources are available for fast 911 emergency response. This higher level of coordinated response improves outcomes for residents and visitors, enhances overall public safety, may contribute to lower insurance costs for property owners, and supports the city’s long-term resilience.
This improvement reflects the strength of the city’s partnership with the Modesto Fire Department and demonstrates that the decision to collaborate has resulted in stronger emergency response for Ceres residents.
A new training tower is the result of a shared vision and investment in public safety. A vision championed by Ceres leadership to ensure local firefighters, police officers and first-responders have access to realistic, high-quality training right here in the community they serve.
The training tower simulates complex emergencies such as multi-story rescues, stairwell fire attacks, and rope operations from a rooftop repelling station. These capabilities help prepare first responders for the unique challenges found in apartment complexes, commercial buildings, and high-risk structures throughout the region.
The tower has hosted joint training events involving firefighters, law enforcement, utility responders, and youth fire explorers. One recent exercise simulated a major earthquake with gas and electrical hazards in partnership with PG&E. This gave first responders a safe, controlled environment to rehearse life-saving decisions before facing them in real emergencies.
The training tower was made possible through a cooperative funding agreement among multiple public agencies:
The $1.1 million facility underscores how strategic collaboration across cities, counties, colleges, and fire districts can result in tangible improvements to public safety infrastructure. Thanks to Ceres’ leadership and willingness to partner with surrounding agencies, this tower will now serve the broader region as a center for firefighter development and emergency readiness.
Stay on top of crime
Law enforcement and public safety remains the foundation of a city that families can trust and businesses can invest in and I want our Ceres Police Department to know this clearly: you have my full support. Over the last two years, our officers have continued to deliver results even while operating under staffing strain—mandatory 12-hour shifts, because when we don’t have enough bodies, every other issue gets harder to solve. In 2025 we saw arrests increase year-over-year, with misdemeanor arrests rising from 1,133 to 1,214 and felony arrests from 566 to 621—proof that proactive work is happening in our neighborhoods every day. At the same time, we’re modernizing how we fight crime: the rollout of new body-worn cameras and Tasers, continued investment in license plate reader technology—over 100 million LPR hits in 2025, and deeper use of intelligence tools like NIBIN to connect firearms evidence and keep violent offenders off our streets. But to keep this momentum, we must be honest about what’s next: maintaining police officer patrols, adding a Street Crimes Unit and task force capacity, strengthening dispatch, and building the non-sworn support roles that multiply our officers’ time, like a crime analyst and a real-time crime center. And I will continue doing everything in my power as mayor, advocating with our state and federal partners, pressing for grants and resources, and making the case in every room from Sacramento to Washington, D.C. to ensure Ceres gets its fair share of funding, because Ceres deserves a department that is fully staffed, properly equipped, and prepared for the challenges ahead.
Code enforcement
And I also want to recognize our Code Enforcement team and the work they do every day to protect the quality of life — and the safety — of our residents. Keeping Ceres clean and safe isn’t a once-a-year effort; it’s ongoing, and it takes consistency and follow-through.
Whether it’s tackling illegal dumping, addressing problem properties, reducing hazards, or responding to residents’ concerns, Code Enforcement is out there every week doing the work that keeps our neighborhoods strong.
I also want to highlight the importance of partnership. Our team works closely with the county and health inspection services throughout the city to help ensure standards are being met — because public safety isn’t only about what happens in an emergency, it’s also about prevention and accountability. And I want to recognize the teamwork we’ve seen in the field — especially with Public Works leading our clean-up day at River Bluff — showing what’s possible when departments work side-by-side with a shared purpose.
We’ve also stayed focused on keeping public spaces clean and accessible by continuing efforts to reduce homeless encampments — leading with outreach when possible, but staying firm about keeping parks, trails, and sidewalks safe for families, seniors, and kids.
Residents deserve to feel safe and comfortable in their own neighborhoods and public spaces. But when homelessness goes unaddressed, it can impact quality of life and create concerns around public safety and public health. That’s why the city is continuing to take action, working to keep parks, sidewalks, and public spaces clean and accessible, and we are looking for ways to connect people living on the streets with the help they need. Additional resources will help strengthen the work of our police and public works departments as they respond to encampments and bring together nonprofits and regional partners to provide access, to mental health care, social services, and substance abuse treatment.
This is not easy work, and it requires balance, professionalism, and persistence. To our Code Enforcement staff — thank you for showing up and doing it the right way.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure is not the most glamorous part of city government — but it is the most important, because it’s what everything else depends on. Over the last two years, we’ve stayed focused on the work, roads, water, and long-term capacity. We’ve leveraged our share of Measure L dollars and other funding sources to keep projects moving forward and to begin rebuilding the foundation of a city that’s managing growth responsibly.
Hatch Road improvements are a key example — because Hatch isn’t just a street, it’s a major corridor for families, commuters, first responders, and local businesses, and it has to function safely and efficiently if Ceres is going to keep moving forward. At the same time, we are investing in the systems you don’t see — replacing aging underground water piping, making sure our drinking water continues to be safe and sewer infrastructure keeps pace with demand, and continuing long-range planning for expanded wastewater capacity, including the need for a sewage plant that can support the future growth that is already coming. And that growth is real — projects like Copper Trails and new commercial investment require that we build the backbone first, or we simply won’t be able to facilitate the demand.
And yes — roads. We are all tired of the potholes, and too many of our streets and roads are deteriorating and crumbling, which leads to unsafe driving and car damage. But we are staying the course and repaving key routes that haven’t seen the attention they deserve in over a decade — roads like Hatch, Whitmore, Mitchell and additional segments along our highway corridors. We are also working to fill potholes and sidewalks, and repaving our neighborhood streets to improve pedestrian and driver safety, and reduce wear and tear on our vehicles. This work is underway, and it’s happening because we made the decision to invest — not just patch and hope. Ceres can no longer operate like a “stop-sign city.” If we want more for our community — more jobs, more housing, more opportunity — then we must invest like a competing city. And as the third largest city in the county, we have a responsibility to care for our neighborhoods, plan for the future, and build infrastructure that matches the Ceres we know we can become.
Attracting businesses
Economic development is the engine that keeps this boat moving — because when we recruit and attract local businesses, we create jobs, expand opportunity, and generate the revenue that pays for the core services our residents depend on. Over the last two years, we’ve continued shifting the narrative about Ceres: it’s not “just gas stations and coffee shops” although convenient retail matters we welcome you to Ceres with open arms, keep on building not to forget the revenue it generates is real, but a city where major investors see a clear path to build and succeed. That momentum doesn’t happen by accident. It happens because our economic development team has been proactive and sees the vision of the city council in turns brings forward items to the Planning Commission upon which theses commissioners are appointed, and we’ve made it clear that Ceres is open for business, with a process that is professional, practical, and focused on our long-term stability. We’ve seen significant private investment and new activity at key gateways, including projects like the Maverik travel center and the continued growth around the Highway 99 corridor. We also welcomed new hospitality to meet the growing demand from travelers, workers and sports teams, like the WoodSpring Inn & Suites ribbon cutting in September 2025 at the Ceres Gateway Center, adding 122 rooms and bringing new economic activity to our city, we have more on the way, including major fitness investment by crunch and other commercial activity on Hatch that signals confidence in Ceres’ future. We’re also looking ahead to the redevelopment of the former Walmart site — a project that will bring new life back to a major commercial anchor in our community. The plan includes three new tenants sharing the old Walmart building, along with two additional new businesses along the Mitchell Road side, so this site can once again be vibrant, active, and a continued source of jobs, opportunity, and local revenue.” Looking forward, we’re not just chasing ribbon cuttings, we’re building the foundation for sustained growth: better infrastructure, faster and smarter permitting, and strong regional partnerships, including transit such as StanRTA and mobility planning that expands access to jobs and connects our community to opportunity.
Economic development is the engine but strong fiscal accountability is the fuel and the discipline that keeps the engine running. Fiscal responsibility also means protecting the resources that belong to our community. Too often, smaller cities like Ceres are overlooked by the state government, leaving our community without our fair-share of attention or resources.
We are also entering a period where the State is facing a multi-billion-dollar budget deficit. And history shows that when Sacramento faces budget challenges, Sacramento has taken millions of local tax dollars from cities like Ceres to balance its budget. That is why our city is prioritizing local control over taxpayer dollars. By doing so, we can continue to compete with neighboring jurisdictions for jobs and services, retain and attract local businesses, and make investments to maintain our quality of life and build a stronger community.
Community events
Community is what turns a city into a home and over the last two years our Parks & Recreation team has delivered in a big way – from our Easter celebration welcoming hundreds of residents, to Concerts in the Park a multi-week, free summer series with live music, food vendors, family games, and community connection. Ceres continues to create the kind of moments that bring neighbors together. And events like the Ceres Street Faire have helped keep our downtown active, supporting local vendors and giving families another reason to spend time right here at home. We’ve continued building signature events like our Night Market and Ceres Music Fest, and we’ve created safe traditions families can count on — like the largest Trunk or Treat Ceres has seen in years. We’ve also taken time to honor those who are no longer with us, and to recognize the strength of family and community through meaningful events that our Parks and Rec department partner with, such as “Day of the Dead.” And as we head into the holidays, I want to highlight something special: our Christmas parade and celebration was the biggest we’ve seen in recent years, with more floats than ever before — and with other parades in the county scaling back or closing, I fully expect Ceres to grow even bigger this year as families look for a place to celebrate together.
But it’s not only events; it’s year-round quality of life. At the Community Center, residents of all ages are staying active through recreation programs like Zumba Gold, youth dance, Get Fit boot camps, youth culinary classes, and so much more. We proudly maintain 11 public parks across Ceres, and are working hard to maintain funding for staffing and maintenance so our parks stay safe, clean, and welcoming. That includes overdue reinvestment into facilities that haven’t seen major upgrades in years until recently, Such as the city of Ceres baseball complex, George Costa Ball Fields, along with bigger plans at River Bluff and our soccer complexes where the need for improved lighting and turf is clear. Some of our attention now needs to shift to these priorities, and I’m proud to share we already have a project underway at River Bluff Park to enhance the park experience with new bike and pedestrian walkways around the fields.
Aquatics program
And before I close this section, I want to share some great news. Many of you heard the unexpected concern that our swim program could be in danger due to budget talks and constraints. I’m happy to tell you that after I personally reached out to the Salvation Army and facilitated a meeting with our Parks & Recreation team, it now looks like we are moving forward with an arrangement that safeguards that program and protects its longevity for our families and our kids.
Before we close tonight, I want to take a moment to recognize the people who make the city of Ceres run every single day. The progress we’ve talked about tonight doesn’t happen just because of one person standing at a podium it happens because of the men and women who show up early, stay late, respond in the middle of the night, and take pride in serving this community.
To every department and every division — thank you. To our Police Department, Dispatch, and support staff… to our Fire and emergency partners… to Public Works streets, water, sewer, storm drainage, and maintenance… to Parks and Recreation and Community Services… to Development Services, Planning, and Building… to Code
Enforcement… to our City Clerk and administrative teams… to Finance, Human Resources, and IT… to Engineering, project management, and everyone behind the scenes who keeps the work moving your dedication is seen, it matters, and it is deeply appreciated.
I see the effort. I see the sacrifice. I see the pride you take in doing things the right way serving residents with professionalism, treating people with respect, and caring about the details. And I want you to know this: your work is not unnoticed, and it is not taken for granted.
And finally, to the people of Ceres, thank you. Thank you to our residents who volunteer, coach, serve on boards and committees, and step up when our city needs you. Thank you to the Ceres Unified School District for the continued partnership and shared commitment to our kids and our families. Thank you to the Chamber of Commerce and to every business in our city — large and small that invests here, hires here, sponsors teams, supports events, and gives back to the community you call home. All of you help build the spirit of Ceres and together, you’re the reason this city continues to move forward.
