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Hector Sosa Newsletter — June 29, 2026
📬 Councilmember Hector Sosa | District 2, Downey | June 29, 2026
Good evening, Downey,
This Saturday, America turns 250. That is a hard number to wrap your head around, and it makes this particular Fourth of July feel a little bigger than the rest. I have always loved this holiday: the backyard barbecues, the kids with sparklers, and the flags up and down the block. Getting to mark a milestone this big together, as one city, is something I will not take for granted. So before the long weekend gets here, let me walk you through what is happening around Downey, from a few important fireworks reminders to an exciting step forward for our Space Center.
🚨 Public Safety
🔹 A Safer Fourth of July, Backed by Real Enforcement: This week, the Council voted unanimously to give the Downey Police Department new tools to crack down on illegal fireworks. That includes the authority to use drones to document where fireworks are being set off, along with updated penalties that now reach the people hosting or even watching the activity, not just the person lighting the fuse. Downey allows only "safe and sane" fireworks, the kind that stay on the ground like sparklers and fountains. Anything that flies, travels, or explodes is illegal here, and the fines now start at $4,000 for a first offense and climb from there.
→ ⚡ Why this matters: Every summer, illegal fireworks send neighbors to the emergency room, terrify pets, rattle our veterans, and put first responders at real risk during the driest, most fire-prone stretch of the year. Keeping Downey safe is the responsibility I take most seriously on this Council, and that means giving our police and fire crews the tools they need while asking the rest of us to be good neighbors this weekend.
→ 🎯 My ask is simple: Enjoy the holiday, keep it legal, and look out for the families and animals on your block. If dangerous fireworks turn up in your neighborhood, report them to the Downey Police Department rather than letting them slide.
👉 Visit the Downey Police Department
💰 Budget & Finance
🔹 A New Fiscal Year Starts This Week: Downey's new budget year begins Wednesday, July 1, which is when the spending plan the Council worked through this June actually takes effect. The proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 to 2027, along with the city's updated fees and charges, went before the Council in public hearings this month, and each of those documents is posted online for any resident to read.
→ 💡 What your budget pays for: This is the plan behind the services most of us only notice when they stop working: the officers and firefighters who answer our calls, the crews who keep our streets in shape, the parks where our kids play, and the library doors that open every morning. Balancing the budget is not glamorous, but Downey has done it year after year for well over a decade, and that consistency is exactly what lets the city keep delivering full services without drama.
→ 📊 Plain numbers, not jargon: I believe every resident deserves a budget they can actually read and follow. If you want to see where your tax dollars are going, the city's agendas and documents page is the best place to start.
👉 Review the city budget and meeting documents
💼 Economic Development
🔹 The Columbia Memorial Space Center Expansion Gains Momentum: Earlier this week, I joined community leaders, philanthropists, and science-education supporters at the kickoff of the fundraising campaign behind the major expansion of our Columbia Memorial Space Center. The new building, which broke ground last fall, will finally give the full-size space shuttle Inspiration a permanent public home and dramatically expand the room for STEM exhibits, classrooms, and community events.
→ ⚡ Why this is a big deal for Downey: Our city did not just watch the space program from a distance. The Apollo command modules and the first full-scale shuttle prototype were built right here, and this expansion turns that history into a regional destination for the next generation of engineers, scientists, and dreamers. A project like this draws visitors, supports our local economy, and tells Downey kids that world-class ambition belongs to them too.
→ 🎯 Where I stand: I fully support the Space Center and everything it represents. Honoring where this city has been while building something extraordinary for where it is going is exactly the kind of investment I want Downey making.
👉 Explore the Space Center expansion
🤝 Around the Region
🔹 Pushing for Better, Safer Freeways: This week I joined my colleagues on the Gateway Cities Council of Governments committee I co-chair, the one focused on the State Route 91, Interstate 605, and Interstate 405 corridors. The work can sound technical, but it comes down to something every commuter understands: the freeways that carry us to work, to school, and back home, and how we keep them moving better and more safely.
→ 💡 Why a seat here counts: The big decisions about our region's freeways get made at tables like this one, long before any orange cones appear. When Downey has a hand on the wheel of those conversations, our residents and our local businesses are in a far stronger position for the improvements, and the funding, that follow.
🎶 Summer in the Park
🔹 Concerts in the Park Is Back for the Season: Downey's Concerts in the Park series kicked off this week at Furman Park, and it runs all summer with free, family-friendly shows under the open sky. Bring a couple of lawn chairs or a blanket, pack a dinner, and settle in for an easy evening with your neighbors.
→ 🎯 Why I love this one: Some of the best nights in this city do not cost a dime. A free concert in a neighborhood park is exactly the kind of simple, shared experience that makes Downey feel like Downey, and it is a great excuse to get the whole family out of the house on a warm evening.
👉 See Downey's summer events lineup
📅 Coming Up
🔹 🎆 Fourth of July: Saturday, July 4. Wishing every family in District 2 a safe and happy Independence Day. Please celebrate legally, and look out for one another.
🔹 🏛️ Next Regular City Council Meeting: Tuesday, July 14, 6:30 PM, Council Chambers, Downey City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Avenue. Agendas post in advance, and your comments are always welcome in person, in writing, or by livestream.
🔹 🎶 Concerts in the Park: Wednesday evenings at Furman Park, 7:00 PM, all summer long. A free, easy night out with the neighbors.
📱 Stay Connected
Need to report a pothole, flag some graffiti, or send in a service request? The Downey Connect App is the fastest, most direct way to get it handled, and it works on both Apple and Android.
👉 Download the Downey Connect App
You can also follow along on Instagram and Facebook, where I share real-time updates, event highlights, and a look at what I am working on between newsletters.
However you spend the Fourth this weekend, I hope it is a safe and happy one, with good food, good company, and a little gratitude for the country we are fortunate to call home. From a new budget year to a summer of concerts in the park, there is a lot in motion in Downey right now, and I am grateful to be doing this work alongside neighbors who care about it as much as you do. Thank you for reading.
Questions, ideas, or concerns are always welcome. My inbox is open, and I do read what you send.
