By Brett Callwood
On the evening of Thursday, March 21, Mayor Tasha Cerda delivered the annual State of the City at the Nakaoka Community Center on West 162nd Street.
The event started at 7 p.m. with a video celebrating the hard work and achievements of the city council and staff. The City later posted that same video to social media, writing, “Seeing many people attend the City’s State of the City was incredible! Our City works towards continuous improvement and welcomes feedback and community input. Stay involved, and continue to come to our events and activities to share your thoughts and input on how we can continue to make Gardena the best place to live, work, and play.”
Cerda spoke eloquently and compellingly for about 40 minutes after she was introduced by City Manager Clint Osorio as the “people’s advocate.”
She spoke of the achievements of the Public Works department, including the replacement of 2,800 square feet of damaged sidewalks. 3,100 trees were trimmed in the last year, and many trees were planted too.
The GTrans bus service saw 1.9 million passengers in total. 20,000 football fans were transported to SoFi, and a pilot trolley service was launched, taking passengers to Manhattan Beach. As the City continues to battle climate change, more electric charging facilities were approved.
The City of Gardena Police Department’s innovation was celebrated, with the use of drones singled out, as well as the success of the Juvenile Justice Program. Cerda also reminded attendees that Gardena was a finalist in the National Civic League’s All-American City awards which celebrate the “top communities in the nation for civic engagement.”
Finally, Cerda spoke of the recently approved budget, which should see the City remain in a sound financial state for the foreseeable future.
