State of the City

Good morning, everyone and thank you for joining us.
Whether you are here in person or listening online, I thank you for taking the time to receive an update on the state of our city. I stand before you giving my sixth State of the City address as your Mayor. I am grateful for the trust you’ve placed in me and for the opportunity to serve a community that continues to inspire hope, pride, and possibility. Local government works best when residents don’t just live in a city, but actively help to build it.
Your presence and your voice at events like these help shape the future of our community.

Before we begin, I’d like to recognize some of our distinguished guests. First, I’d like to thank my family for being here and my City Council colleagues. I am thrilled to have Congresswoman Doris Matsui with us today. She is a close personal friend of mine and certainly a friend to our city. As our federal champion, she has secured nearly $6 million for city infrastructure projects in the last few years. We are grateful for her continued advocacy in Washington and for her ongoing support for the work we’re doing here in Elk Grove. Thank you.
I also want to recognize and welcome our State representatives Sacramento County Supervisor Pat Hume

Our Wilton Rancheria partners City Staff Representatives from Elk Grove Unified School District, Cosumnes Community Services District, Sacramento Area Council of Governments, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, Sacramento Regional Transit District.

Our Chamber of Commerce members, Explore Elk Grove, and most importantly, you, the residents of Elk Grove. Your partnership matters.

Our progress would not be possible without your collaboration, and commitment.

This year’s theme “Progress with Purpose” captures how Elk Grove is moving forward with intention  with impact  and with a clear vision for the future.

Since our incorporation in 2000, Elk Grove has grown into one of California’s most dynamic, family-friendly, and forward-thinking cities.
And now, as we join communities across the nation in celebrating America’s 250th birthday we step into the future with confidence, optimism, and responsibility.
Our progress over the past 25 years has been steady and significant. 
Our work has been noticed — Not just across the region — but across the country.
In the past year, Elk Grove ranked 
The Best Place to Live in California
and the 6th Best Place to Live in the West

We were ranked the Eighth (#8) Safest City in America.
one of the Best Cities to Retire in California 
and among the Most Affordable Cities in California to Buy a Home.
Our modern accolades complement our small-town roots.
It’s why we’re a finalist in Parade Magazine’s Best Small Towns in America
And why Luke Bryan is bringing his Farm Tour to Elk Grove in May.

These honors confirm what we already know — Elk Grove is a city on the rise. And we’re doing it the right way.
In 2022, Elk Grove voters chose to invest in their city’s future.
The approval of Measure E, our one-percent local sales tax, has provided the City with critical, locally controlled resources to tackle the community’s highest priorities.
Measure E represents more than funding. It represents trust.
And we remain committed to stewarding those dollars responsibly, transparently, and consistently in alignment with the needs and priorities our community has shared with us.

At a time when the State of California and many surrounding cities are facing structural deficits, service reductions, and fiscal uncertainty  Elk Grove remains financially stable, disciplined, and forward‑thinking.
Our strong financial foundation allows us to deliver exceptional services today while also planning responsibly for tomorrow.

It allows us to invest in public safety;
To maintain our roads and parks; 
respond to homelessness with compassion and accountability, and
support economic development without compromising our long‑term stability.
Most importantly, it gives us the capacity to pursue our broader vision for a superior quality of life that’s built upon the strength of our diversity and heritage 
A place with safe, welcoming, and connected neighborhoods;
And a wide range of housing, education and employment opportunities.
That kind of stability does not happen by accident.
It is the result of careful planning, responsible budgeting, and a commitment to innovation and efficiency.
And while financial strength provides stability  our most important purpose is protecting the people who live, work and visit our city.
Safe neighborhoods are the foundation of opportunity  economic vitality  and quality of life.
And public safety remains our highest priority.
Over the past year we’ve made smart, targeted investments that are delivering real results.
We added a Commercial Enforcement Officer to keep oversized trucks off our streets that weren’t designed for heavy traffic  to reduce wear and tear on our roads  improve visibility at intersections  and create safer conditions for families driving, walking, and biking.

And our new Parking Enforcement Officer addressed more than 2,800 abandoned vehicle and parking complaints keeping neighborhoods safer and cleaner.

New technologies continue to provide us with the tools to respond faster and prevent problems before they happen.
License plate readers generated alerts on 274 vehicles of interest  with nearly 30% resulting in arrests.
And Elk Grove continues to lead the nation with our Drone as First Responder program assisting in nearly 2,000 calls last year.
These units are making emergency responses much more efficient.
Drones cleared 14% of calls without a marked patrol vehicle and, when in use, reduced response times by 75%.

From regional collaborations to thwart retail theft to coordinated efforts to clear encampments, our officers are doing more than ever before to keep our city safe, prepared, and resilient.
In 2025, our officers responded to nearly 100,000 calls for service while reducing overall crime by 2 percent.
Thank you, Chief Davis and to the many brave officers and staff of the Elk Grove Police Department for the work that you do every day to keep us safe.

Busting the bad guys is tough work, but making ends meet was even harder for some Elk Grove families this past year.
When a government shutdown challenged the ability for families to put food on the table, our community stepped up.
In just 48 hours, the City, Wilton Rancheria and local stakeholders raised $131,000 to support the Elk Grove Food Bank, restock its shelves, and support our neighbors.
And new food resources have been added since the shutdown.
A new partnership with the local Food Banks and Al-Misbaah is offering food distribution every Wednesday to a growing refugee and immigrant population. 
Keeping services and organizations in a position to serve is the sign of a compassionate city.
And a compassionate city serves everyone.

November marked the one-year anniversary of opening our temporary year-round homeless shelter at Calvary Christian Center.
Since opening, more than 100 adults have been served by the shelter and 18 who have received assistance have moved into some form of permanent housing.
 
We expanded our reach with a new Homeless Outreach Navigator  cleaned up more than 100 encampments  and supported families with emergency motel vouchers.
The City’s comprehensive strategy to address homelessness has resulted in a 65 percent reduction in homeless encampments citywide over the past year. 
Over the summer, we started planning for a permanent homeless shelter.
From more than 130 possible sites and extensive community outreach and engagement, we established a list of locations that could serve our needs and reflect the priorities we heard from our community. 
Work to develop a new facility on Survey Road is under way and a final design for the project will be shared later this year with a goal of opening in Fall 2028.

Homelessness remains an urgent challenge, but our strategies are working.
The homeless shelter is just one step in a tiered approach that includes a variety of safe, supportive housing options.
From transitional housing projects like Grace and Meadow House for individuals and families, to more permanent solutions like Adamstown, a new shared housing project for seniors — our work reflects a balanced approach that combines compassion  accountability  and action.

And let me just say There is no place in the region that has been working harder on affordable housing than Elk Grove.
In 2025, we opened 770 new affordable housing units—more than any year in our city’s history.
The Lyla, Pardes, and MOSA projects added new spaces for families in our city.
This year will see an additional 139 units added to Phase 2 of the Pardes project and we’ll see construction start on the Coral Blossom permanent supportive housing project.
Projects like these have been years in the making and demonstrate the City’s history of intentional investments that support housing options for everyone in our city.
We understand the assignment. And we’re getting things done.

Progress with purpose also means investing in people and partnerships.
In November, we commemorated a historic first with our brothers and sisters of the Wilton Rancheria when we raised the Tribal Flag in front of city hall.
This act of unity and friendship is a visible reminder to us every day of the respect and connection that we share to the land and to each other.
But celebrating our city and its people shows up in many different forms these days.
Over the past year, I have been amazed by stories shared by some of the residents who have been given a Key to the City.
The Key to the City is one of Elk Grove’s highest honors, recognizing residents for extraordinary achievements, acts of heroism, and milestone birthdays. Residents who reach 100 years old are eligible to receive this honor through a simple nomination process.
And members of the City Council and I have presented 12 keys over the past year to local centenarians like Elnora Caruth and 2nd Lt. Miriam Coloma who saved thousands of lives as a surgical nurse in World War 2.
Celebrating this milestone with them honors their history and records moments worth saving.

Elk Grove’s rich diversity is a constant source of strength. 
From Diversity Awareness Month, MLK365 March for the Dream, and the Pride March, I have personally experienced the tremendous pride and appreciation that comes from our purposeful celebrations.
And I am proud to stand with members of our community in recognizing today as the Transgender Day of Visibility.
Residents like Dr. Tristan Buzzini.
Dr. Buzzini, can you please join me on the stage?
Dr. Buzzini is a member of the City’s Diversity & Inclusion Commission, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Gender Affirmative Care Specialist, and a statewide subject matter expert for transgender, non-binary and gender diverse patient care.
Today we celebrate the strength and achievements of transgender individuals.
We acknowledge the dangers and discrimination that their community faces; and
We support their equal and inalienable rights in a City Welcome to All; and
On this day, and every day, we see you, we appreciate you, and we honor you.
I have a proclamation recognizing today as Transgender Day of Visibility in the City of Elk Grove signed by all of the members of the City Council.
Thank you.

I am always proud to share our story, our success, and our dreams with others around the region and even all the way to Washington.
Our annual Cap-to-Cap trip, set for next month, will deliver a delegation of business, government, and community leaders together to advocate for policies that strengthen our communities with the people in Washington.
We stand together to advocate for the interests of the region and our community on a national stage.
But why limit ourselves to the US? 
At Terra Madre Americas, the Economic Development team and Explore Elk Grove showed us how Elk Grove could stand in the international spotlight with a full roster of businesses that invited travelers to Elk Grove for some amazing, one-of-a-kind food experiences. 

But I know what you’re thinking we’ve made so much progress and we just keep growing.
What kind of traffic is all this progress producing in the future?
I get it. It’s the number one topic I hear from people all the time.
But we’re continuing to modernize our infrastructure and improve everyday mobility.
Our Traffic Signal Coordination Project has delivered impressive results:

• A 21% reduction in average travel time
• A 46% reduction in signal delay
• A 30% increase in average speed; and
• 41% fewer stops

We’re working hard to tackle the traffic issues and have a plan in the works that will connect Kammerer Road to I-5 and add a new interchange to Highway 99 at Whitelock Parkway.
Just this month, the Council approved a new funding plan for the Whitelock Interchange that will fast track this project without the use of federal funds.
Like all highway projects, these efforts take time, but we are making progress.

We’re working hard to keep the cross-town traffic running smoothly by keeping the roads in top condition.
In the last year alone, we’ve invested more than $10 million in pavement maintenance, upgraded 125 ADA ramps, and improved key corridors on Grant Line Road and Laguna Boulevard.
For those walkers and cyclists, we’ve been working hard too.
The Public Works team installed flashing stop signs at 21 crosswalks at or near schools or parks to improve pedestrian safety.
And we are preparing to begin construction of a new Laguna Creek Trail pedestrian overcrossing at Highway 99 this summer.
We’ll continue to improve how people move through Elk Grove whether that’s by car, bike, or on foot.
And we’re doing everything we know how to make sure that those improvements are accessible to everyone in our community.
Including our growing senior population.
Today, more than 31,000 residents age 62 and older—about 17% of our population call Elk Grove home.
Many are living on fixed incomes and are especially impacted by rising transportation costs.
So as we invest in smarter traffic systems, safer streets, and better connectivity, we are also expanding access to public transit.
This week the City and SacRT launched a new Seniors Ride Free Pilot Program.
This program – the first of its kind in the region — will allow Elk Grove seniors to ride SacRT bus routes within the city and commuter routes to Sacramento fare-free.
It’s a simple but meaningful step to help our older adults stay connected to healthcare, shopping, community activities, and the people and places that matter most to them.

New amenities and programs are great, but how we care for what we have is equally important.
A great city is a clean city.
Our Code Enforcement and Public Works teams responded to 78 graffiti removal requests last year — removing vandalism within an average of 48 hours.
We expanded our “Worth the Work” anti-litter campaign, installed new trash and recycling receptacles, and partnered with community volunteers.

We removed more than 46,000 pounds of trash and debris from encampment sites—protecting public health and community pride.
And city and local partners planted 2600 new trees last year —  including a 25-tree Silver Anniversary grove.
Why are these things important?
Because a clean city reflects our community pride and shows that we are a caring and engaged community.
It shows that Elk Grove is Worth the Work.
In the coming year, we’ll introduce updates to the city’s Climate Action Plan that will explore ways to expand on our commitment to a cleaner and greener Elk Grove.
And sustainability isn’t just good for our environment —  it’s good for our economy.
When we invest in clean energy, efficient infrastructure, and livable neighborhoods, we make Elk Grove more attractive to businesses, entrepreneurs, and families who want to grow here.

Over the past year, Elk Grove’s economy continued to grow with intention and momentum.
We supported small businesses like Ever After Wine and Interlude through the BReW grant program with more grants in progress for The Grove, and Sky Port Restaurants.
And we continued to support the region’s startup entrepreneurs through our 4th annual Pitch Elk Grove competition, awarding $20,000 in prize money to the top 3 finalists and the best Elk Grove startup.
Congratulations to our local winner, Soar Optics.

Progress on Project Elevate advanced a little further with a new development agreement and pre-leasing activity underway.
We anticipate an official project application in the coming weeks.

As we celebrate progress, we also need to be honest about challenges.
We saw the closure of the Amazon Fresh store that was part of a broader national pullback and other business closures.
These closures matter.
They affect employees, customers, nearby businesses, and the character of our commercial areas. And we take that impact seriously.
But economic progress isn’t about pretending setbacks don’t happen, it’s about how we respond to them.
That means supporting small businesses, strengthening high-traffic districts, helping property owners attract the right tenants, and continuing to build an environment where entrepreneurs can succeed.
And the encouraging news is this —  Elk Grove’s retail and dining scene is not slowing down. It’s evolving and growing.
In the coming year, we look forward to welcoming new restaurants and retailers, including Whole Foods, Yard House, Barnes & Noble, Cattlemen’s, and other local and independent businesses that are choosing Elk Grove as a place to invest.
Even as some doors close, even more are opening.
Our role as a City is to keep creating the conditions where businesses can thrive and our commercial districts stay vibrant.
Our future is filled with momentum and plans are in motion that keep the state of our city strong.
In addition to those projects I’ve already mentioned, we’ll see a new library open on Main Street and discuss the future of its former location
And we’ll begin making improvements to streets in the Historic District 
These projects reflect a city building for the long term with clarity, care, and confidence.

Progress doesn’t happen by accident.
It takes leadership partnership and community.
Elk Grove continues to prove that when we move forward together, we can build a city that is safer  stronger  more inclusive  and full of opportunity.
The state of our city is strong.
The future is bright.
The momentum is real.
And Progress with Purpose is possible thanks to all of you.
Thank you.