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Hector Sosa Newsletter — May 10, 2026
📬 Councilmember Hector Sosa | District 2, Downey | May 11, 2026
Good morning, Downey,
A quieter week on the calendar, but the work did not slow down. Friday morning, I represented Downey at the LA County Commission on Local Governmental Services downtown, on behalf of the Independent Cities Association. Tuesday brings the Council back into chambers with a fresh agenda. And in between, Senior Night at Warren and a quick stop on Firestone reminded me, again, that the smallest moments in this city often carry the biggest weight.
Here is your week ahead.
🚨 Public Safety
🔹 Touch-A-Truck Returns Saturday, May 23: Two Saturdays out, kids will get to climb on fire trucks, police cruisers, and public works equipment, and meet the men and women who operate them every day. The event runs 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM and is one of the most popular family Saturdays on the city's calendar for a reason.
→ ⚡ Why this matters: Public safety is not just an agenda item or a budget line. It is the people behind it. Touch-A-Truck is a hands-on way for kids to meet the firefighters and officers who serve their neighborhoods, and for families to see the equipment their tax dollars support.
→ 🎯 My take: More than half of our general fund supports police and fire operations, and the trust between those departments and the families they protect gets earned in moments like this one. If you have young kids at home, this is the kind of Saturday that ends with worn-out kids and proud parents.
💰 Budget & Finance
🔹 Representing Downey at the County Level: Friday, May 8, I sat on the LA County Commission on Local Governmental Services on behalf of the Independent Cities Association. The Commission's mandate is to identify cost-effective and efficient alternatives for delivering services across jurisdictional lines in a county of nearly ten million people. ICA represents roughly 40 Southern California cities, and Downey's voice belongs in those rooms.
→ 💡 Why this matters for Downey: A lot of the decisions that affect what we can fund, build, and deliver here at home are made well above the city boundary. Showing up at the County, at ICA, and at the regional tables is how we make sure Downey's priorities stay part of the conversation: public safety, fiscal stability, and support for small business.
→ 🎯 My take: As a financial services professional by training, I think a lot about return on investment, and regional representation pays it back every time. The cost is a Friday morning. The return is a louder voice for Downey on issues that cross our city limits.
👉 Learn about the Commission on Local Governmental Services
👉 Learn about the Independent Cities Association
🔹 Next Council Meeting, Tuesday, May 12 at 6:30 PM: The Council reconvenes tomorrow night in the Chambers at Downey City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Ave. Agendas post in advance on the city website, and I always recommend pulling the agenda up before the meeting so you walk in informed rather than catching up afterward.
→ 💡 How to plug in: Attend in person, submit written public comment, or watch the livestream from home. Every one of those counts as participation. If something on the agenda matters to you, even a few sentences of comment can shift a conversation.
👉 View agendas and city documents
💼 Economic Development & Local Business
🔹 Spending Local at Mariachi Bakery: Thursday, I stopped into Mariachi Bakery in Downey and walked out reminded why local-first matters. Great treats, great service, the kind of small-business vibe that does not show up on a corporate balance sheet but is exactly what keeps our main street alive. Give them a try.
→ 💡 The small habit: Pick one local restaurant, one local shop, one local service this week instead of the chain alternative. Now multiply that across our 113,000 residents. That is the economic engine no zoning code alone can build.
→ 🎯 My ongoing focus: I came to this Council to push real reforms for small business, and last month's 5-0 vote on tiered permit fees is one of the proudest moments I have had in this seat. But policy only does half the work. The other half is residents who choose to walk through the front door.
👉 Visit Mariachi Bakery on Instagram
🌳 Around Downey
🔹 Warren Baseball Senior Night, Tuesday, May 5: I had the privilege of presenting City certificates of appreciation to Joshua's fellow Warren Bears senior baseball players at last Tuesday's Senior Night ceremony. The Bears closed the night with a 2-0 win, Josh pitched a clean inning, and a parent group of team moms made the whole event run like clockwork.
→ 🎯 What stuck with me: Senior Night is one of those milestones that does not make the local news but means everything to the families in the stands. A big thank-you to Warren High, the coaching staff, the team moms, and every parent who showed up. Solid group of players and parents.
🔹 A Note on Mother's Day: Sunday belonged to the moms in our lives, the ones raising the next generation of Downey kids and the ones who shaped the rest of us. To every mother in this city, a belated thank-you for everything that does not show up on a job description.
📅 Coming Up
🔹 🏛️ Next City Council Meeting: Tuesday, May 12, 6:30 PM, Council Chambers, Downey City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Ave.
🔹 🐾 Pet Adoption Event at 9001 Apollo Way: Saturday, May 16. Best Friends Animal Society is partnering with Walmart and Blue Buffalo for a pet adoption event during National Pet Month, with adoption fees fully covered by the sponsors. If you have been thinking about adding a furry family member, this is the lowest-friction Saturday morning to do it.
🔹 🚒 Touch-A-Truck: Saturday, May 23, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. A family favorite. Kids climb on fire trucks, police vehicles, and public works equipment and meet the people who operate them.
📱 Stay Connected
Got a pothole to report, graffiti to flag, or a service request to submit? The Downey Connect App is the fastest, most direct path to getting things done. Available for both Apple and Android.
👉 Download the Downey Connect App
Follow me on Instagram and Facebook for more real-time updates, event highlights, and a look at what I am working on between newsletters.
Some of the most important work of this job happens on the road, in someone else's chambers, speaking for Downey at tables where Downey is not the only city in the room. Friday was one of those days. So was the quiet hour spent at Senior Night, and the few minutes at the bakery counter on Thursday. None of it shows up on an agenda packet, but all of it is the work.
Thank you for reading, for the steady stream of ideas in my inbox, and for trusting me with this seat. Keep them coming.
