Elected Official? Create newsletters in minutes, not hours.
Transparent, authentic, comprehensive newsletters to maximize constituent representation and civic engagement.
Hector Sosa Newsletter — May 31, 2026
📬 Councilmember Hector Sosa | District 2, Downey | June 1, 2026
Hello, Downey,
Memorial Day opened this week, and it is the right note to start on. Before the agendas, the new store openings, and the weekend errands, there were the names we read and the silence we keep for the men and women who never came home. That gratitude is the foundation everything else is built on. From there, the week turned practical: the Council tightened how appointed officials represent the city, our oldest shopping center kept adding to its lineup, and the weekend brought neighbors out to shop local. One urgent note before we dig in: the statewide primary is tomorrow, so if your ballot is still on the counter, be sure to fill it in and drop it off.
Here is your update.
🇺🇸 Honoring Those Who Served
🔹 Memorial Day at the Downey Cemetery District: On Monday, May 25, the Downey Cemetery District held its annual Memorial Day ceremony in collaboration with the City, a fitting tribute to the service members who gave everything for the rest of us. I marked the day there, and it was a moving reminder of what the holiday is actually for.
→ ⚡ Why this matters: Memorial Day is not Veterans Day. It is reserved for those who died in service, and that distinction deserves to be honored with more than a barbecue and a long weekend. Appreciating the people who defended this country has always mattered to me, and a community that takes time to remember its fallen is a stronger community for it.
👉 Visit the Downey Veterans Memorial page
🗳️ Don't Forget: The Primary Is Tomorrow
🔹 California's Statewide Primary Is Tuesday, June 2: Tomorrow is Election Day for the Statewide Direct Primary, with the races for Governor, other statewide offices, Congress, and the State Legislature all on the ballot. Every active registered voter in LA County was mailed a ballot, and you have several ways to turn yours in. Drop it in the mail with a postmark no later than June 2, leave it at any of the county's 400 plus official drop boxes, or hand it in at any LA County vote center. Drop boxes and vote centers accept ballots until 8 PM tomorrow, and in-person voting runs from 7 AM to 8 PM at any center in the county.
→ 🎯 Where I stand: I will never tell you who to vote for, but I will always tell you to vote. The decisions made at the state and county level shape your taxes, your schools, your roads, and your public safety long after the campaign signs come down, and the people who show up are the people who get represented.
→ 📍 Not sure where to go: The county's official locator maps every vote center and drop box near you, so finding the closest one takes about a minute.
👉 Find your LA County vote center or drop box
🏛️ City Hall & Governance
🔹 Council Updates Its Code of Ethics and Conduct: At Tuesday's meeting on May 26, the Council adopted updates to the city's Code of Ethics and Conduct, with separate rules for Council members and for the residents who serve on our commissions, committees, and boards. The changes spell out two things that were not clearly addressed before: that appointed officials cannot use the city logo on personal apparel, business cards, or at meetings without authorization from the City Manager, and that members should not use social media to promote violence, harassment, intimidation, or discrimination against others.
→ 🎯 My take: Restoring stability and professionalism at City Hall is one of the reasons I ran, and clear expectations are part of that. When the rules of conduct are written down plainly, everyone serving the city knows where the line is, and residents know what to expect from the people representing them. Standards like these protect the public's trust, which is the only currency local government really runs on.
👉 Read the Downey Patriot's coverage
🔹 Measure G Reform Comes to Downey: On Wednesday, May 27, the Los Angeles County Governance Reform Task Force held a public input session at the Woman's Club of Downey on Measure G, the 2024 charter amendment that will reshape county government between 2026 and 2034. The plan expands the Board of Supervisors from five seats to nine, creates a directly elected county executive, stands up an independent Ethics Commission, and adds a budget director to oversee the county's roughly 49 billion dollar budget.
→ 💡 What this means for you: County decisions ripple straight down to Downey, from public safety funding to the Rancho Los Amigos South Campus we have been negotiating to develop. A restructuring this large is worth following now, while the implementation details are still being written, rather than after they are locked in.
💼 Economic Development & Local Business
🔹 Stonewood Center Keeps Building Momentum: Our longtime mall is in the middle of a phased renovation, and the new tenants keep coming. Fashion retailer Windsor opened in May near H&M, jewelry store Torre & Co is set to open near JCPenney later this month, and a larger See's Candies reopened Friday, May 29 in a refreshed space near Buffalo Wild Wings. Construction is being staged so stores stay open throughout.
→ ⚡ Why this matters for Downey: A shopping center that keeps attracting investment is a shopping center that keeps generating local jobs and sales tax revenue, the dollars that fund our police, fire, and parks departments. Stonewood has anchored this city's retail base for decades, and seeing it reinvest rather than coast is exactly the kind of momentum I want to see across our commercial corridors.
👉 Read about the Stonewood additions
🔹 Shop Small at the Farmers Market: The weekend brought a perfect Southern California day to do the simplest economic development there is, which is to spend your dollars with the people who live here. The Downey Farmers Market is a low-effort, high-impact way to support local growers and small vendors, and it remains one of my favorite weekend reminders that "shop local" is a habit, not a slogan.
→ 🎯 My ongoing focus: Supporting small business has been a priority of mine from day one, and the most reliable plan any city has is residents who choose local. Pick one vendor this weekend you have never tried. That is how a main street stays alive.
👉 Visit the Downey Farmers Market page
📅 Coming Up
🔹 🏛️ Next Regular City Council Meeting: Tuesday, June 9, 6:30 PM, Council Chambers, Downey City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Ave. Agendas post in advance, and as I say every week, public comment is the most direct way to put something on the Council's radar. Pull up the agenda before the meeting, not after.
👉 View agendas and city documents
🔹 🥕 Downey Farmers Market: A weekly chance to shop local, support small vendors, and run into half your neighbors while you are at it. Here's the link one more time.
👉 Visit the Downey Farmers Market page
📱 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. You'll see more real-time updates, event highlights, and a look at what I am working on between newsletters.
We started this week by remembering people who gave their lives so the rest of us could happily argue over agendas, open new stores, and shop at a farmers market on a sunny Saturday. That freedom is not free, and it is not abstract. It shows up in every ordinary, peaceful week we get to have here. I am grateful for it, and grateful for the chance to serve this city. I will see you at Council Chambers on June 9.
And don't forget to vote!
