A Message From Cerritos Mayor Frank Yokoyama

September 25, 2025

Behind each City of Cerritos service and activity is a group of dedicated employees. Our City is comprised of approximately 500 part-time and full-time staff who work across multiple divisions and departments. Each day brings countless opportunities for residents, businesses, and visitors to interact with staff members. This could take place at a City event, when making a service request, obtaining a permit, and so much more. Each of these individuals and the services they provide are crucial to how the City operates. Their collective efforts align with the City’s eight Strategic Plan goals and our Cerritos in Progress theme.  

The Cerritos City Council frequently collaborates with our employees to enhance our services. Partnerships with the City Manager’s Office, City Clerk’s Office, and our City Attorney are foundational to Cerritos’ success by supporting the overall workflow of our talented employees. 

We were pleased to have recently joined the Public Works team for a series of public meetings to bring more awareness to water and sewer operations. This comes as the City Council is exploring whether to formally recommend increasing rates that would more closely align water and sewer expenses with revenues. Attendees not only witnessed the conditions of our water and sewer infrastructure, but also heard from our employees who maintain these services. We expect to announce more meetings on this topic soon. Our utility systems, as well as City buildings and streets, are essential public services. The City Council extends our appreciation to the Public Works Department for their daily upkeep, which reflects Cerritos’ reputation as a beautiful place to live, work, and do business.   

Thanks to our Community Safety staff and Cerritos Sheriff’s Station deputies, we’re continuing to make progress on reducing crime. Over the first eight months of this year, residential burglaries in Cerritos are down 30% from the same period last year. A safer community combined with quality amenities creates desirable spaces to live and play. Our Community and Cultural Services Department brings you beautiful parks and state-of-the-art venues like the Cerritos Library and the Cerritos Senior Center. We also have the renowned Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, where Theater staff are committed to ensuring your experience at a commercial show or private ceremony is memorable. 

The City Council is continually engaged with our Finance team to ensure we’re maintaining fiscal transparency and sustainability. Amid a challenging budget cycle this past spring, we’re especially appreciative of the work that’s gone into implementing a new Reserve Policy, analyzing expenditures, and growing revenues. A strong business climate is key to supporting City services, with sale tax revenues making up nearly half of our General Fund. The team in our Community Development Department helps drive business growth and investment in Cerritos. 

While our physical infrastructure is key in providing essential services, the technology behind the scenes ensures safe and seamless digital connectivity. We’re grateful to the hard-working employees in our Innovation and Technology Division for keeping these systems operational and user-friendly for our residents. We also stay connected through multiple communications platforms, including this weekly column. We’re thankful to the Communications and Marketing Division for helping share the City’s story through our website, digital newsletters, on social media, as well as print materials and in-person services. 

Employee staffing levels play a big part in our ability to serve the public. From enhancements to benefits and training opportunities, the Human Resources and Enterprise Services Divisions, in collaboration with our employee union, have made great progress in recruiting and retaining talented people. The Cerritos City Council extends our appreciation to our employees for their dedication. Collectively, we are proud to serve the residents, businesses, and visitors of Cerritos and help our City progress.