Hello Downey!

The City of Downey is proud to announce that we have received the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for the second year in an row.   As Mayor and a resident, I am so proud our city received this recognition because it validates the enormous effort we, your public servants, make in ensuring every taxpayer dollar is accounted for and responsibly used.   I want to commend my Council colleagues and the City Management team for their hard work. 

I want to thank Kiwanian Alex Gaytan and the dozens of high school students who recently volunteered their time on a Saturday morning to fill hundreds of sandbags in anticipation of  El Niño. The unexpected heat this month has a lot of us wondering, “Where is El Niño?”  But experts say we shouldn’t let our guard down just yet.  For tips and more information on how to prepare for the rain, please visit our city website at downeyca.org.

For those who may not know, our successful Downey Neighborhood Watch Program works by creating proactive partnerships with our residents and the Downey Police Department to address local issues related to crime. The goals are always to maintain the integrity of our neighborhood, while improving and enhancing the quality of life for all. Remember that we are the extra eyes and ears of our community and for our Police Department.

As of today, we are proud to announce that we have an unprecedented 179 neighborhood watch groups in Downey! Our goal is to reach 200 by the end of this year. If your neighborhood doesn’t have a group yet, I encourage you to reach out to us and we will be happy to organize one on your block. We can really make a difference in our community if we get more involved and this is a great way to do so.

There are many exciting events coming up which I invite you to participate. The City of Downey’s first ever “Ride and Stride” event is scheduled for Sunday, May 1 at 8:30 a.m.  Ride and Stride is a car-free day  though several of our streets where we will transform the streets into safe places for thousands of  Downeyites to ride their bike, walk, play, and spend quality family time along friends and neighbors.  The idea is to promote more community interaction and a healthy lifestyle all while having fun.  Most importantly, Ride and Stride allows people to connect in a way that isn’t possible via a car. For more information, visit downeyrideandstride.com  

The Keep Downey Beautiful team continues to do great things to help keep our city clean and free of trash. This is a wonderful way you and your family can help and do some community service. The next cleanup is this Saturday, Feb. 20 at 8:45 a.m. in front of Old River School Elementary. The following cleanup is on March 19 at 9400 Hall Road. Thank you to Stonewood Center for your continued support in sponsoring the monthly clean ups.  

Also, on Saturday, Feb. 20, from 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Keep Downey Beautiful will be hosting a Used Oil Filter Exchange at O’Reiley Auto Parts at 7839 Firestone Blvd, Downey, CA 90241.  Residents may receive up to two new filters in exchange for two used filters.  

On Saturday, February 27 at 9:30 am, the City of Downey will be hosting a Smart Gardening Workshop at Wilderness Park.  I encourage you to attend the free event to help improve your lawn and garden skills and to continue doing our part in conserving water.  

Also on February 27, the 4th Annual Healthy Downey 5k for TLC run/walk event will take place at Apollo Park. This is an incredible event with all proceeds benefiting Downey Unified School District’s TLC Family Resource Center which helps Downey families and students in need. TLC changes lives every day and we are grateful for their commitment to Downey families. 

The City of Downey’s Columbia Memorial Space Center is truly a gem in our city. Through world-class programs and engaging exhibits, the Space Center strives to ignite a community of critical and creative thinkers. The Center offers great programs and continues to make an impact in our community.  In just last year alone, the Space Center’s attendance jumped from 25,000 to 48,000. The Space Center will again take part in the Long Beach Comic Con Expo.   For more information, please visit their website at columbiaspacescience.org

Gangs Out of Downey will be having their annual luncheon on March 9, at 11:15 a.m. at Rio Hondo.  This year will be extra special as we dedicate the lunch to fallen Downey Officer Ricky Galvez (RIP). The guest speaker will be Supervisor Don Knabe and it promises to be another special event. 

And lastly, mark your calendars for the Arc Walk on March 12 at 8:00 a.m. at Stonewood Mall. If you’ve never attended the ARC Walk before, I promise you won’t be disappointed.  We are grateful for the members of ARC for making an impact on the lives of our community members with developmental and intellectual disabilities.  I invite you to attend and walk with me to show our support.   

As you can see, there are a lot of things happening in our great City of Downey. We are grateful to have many new businesses open in our city. There are lots of opportunities for our residents to get involved. Mahatma Gandhi said “The future depends on what we do in the present.” I encourage you to join a service club, volunteer at our library, or work with our seniors at the Barbara Riley Center. 

As always, I encourage and welcome your suggestions and concerns. You can reach me at asaab@downeyca.org or at (562) 904-7274.   The more we get involved, the greater Downey becomes.  #Downeystrong, #Downeyfirst

Alex Saab
Mayor