Mayor's Quarterly Report Winter 2025

At its regular meeting on December 10, 2024, the Duarte City Council adopted Resolution No. 24-24 reciting the facts and declaring the results of the General Municipal Election on November 5, 2024. Elections for City Councilmembers were conducted in Districts 2, 3, and 7. The following candidates were elected to serve for a four-year term:

• District 2 – Martin Calderon
• District 3 – Vinh Truong
• District 7 – Toney Lewis

Duarte City Council also appointed Cesar A. Garcia, District 6 as the new Duarte Mayor and Tera Martin Del Campo, District 4 as Mayor Pro Tem. Councilmembers appoint the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem amongst themselves, and each position serves for a one-year term.

“Tzeitel Paras-Caracci, former friend and mentor, used to often say it takes a village. As I look out in the Chambers, I’m filled with joy and gratitude to see that my village is here today,” said Mayor Cesar A. Garcia. “Each and every one of you have made this possible for me to do what I love. I am proud to be the son of immigrants, the product of city-funded programs, and a graduate of Duarte Unified School District. As Mayor I’m excited to continue working with my colleagues to keep Duarte moving in the right direction. We will promote and market our beautiful City to attract new businesses, support our current businesses, and ensure that Duarte continues to be your kind of town.”

“I am very excited to serve as your Mayor Pro Tem,” said Mayor Pro Tem Tera Martin Del Campo. “I cannot wait to see what another year of working with this whole team will do. We’ve made some great progress, and I have no doubt that we all will continue to see our visions through and create a beautiful Duarte that everybody wants.”

Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger was in attendance to swear in re-elected Councilmember Vinh Truong. Supervisor Barger presented Councilmember Truong with a certificate thanking him for his service as Duarte’s Mayor.

Re-elected Councilmember Toney Lewis was also sworn in by Supervisor Kathryn Barger and newly elected Councilmember Martin Calderon was sworn in by Assemblymember Lisa Calderon.

The Duarte City Council is composed of seven members who are directly elected by Duarte voters within their respective district. The Council serves as the legislative body for the City and is responsible for establishing City policies, adopting City ordinances and resolutions, holding public hearings, adopting the City’s budget, and authorizing City expenditures. The City Council also appoints the City Manager, City Attorney, and the members of City commissions and committees. Each Councilmember serves a term of four years.

A majority of Duarte voters also voted in favor of Measure QQ. The Measure asked Duarte residents whether the City Council should be authorized to adopt an ordinance to permit up to two retail cannabis dispensaries in Duarte and to tax cannabis businesses up to 10% of gross receipts.

Elections for City Council representative in Districts 1, 4, 5, and 6 will be held in 2026 at the end of the current representatives’ 4-year term. Learn more about your district by visiting the City’s redistricting website.

For additional information about the Duarte City Council, please visit the Duarte City website or contact the City Manager’s Office at (626) 357-7931.

Like many neighboring cities, the Eaton Fire and high winds greatly impacted our community, triggering evacuation warnings, prompting power outages, obstructing major corridors, and scattering debris. The City of Duarte expresses appreciation to residents for their patience and recognizes the hard work of City staff, which has contributed to a swift and ongoing recovery process.

City departments responded quickly and worked collaboratively during the evacuation warning and cleanup efforts. City staff worked around the clock to clear streets, including Huntington Drive and Duarte Road, ensuring safe passage for the community. Thanks to the rapid response of our Field Services team, all traffic-blocking trees were removed by the following morning. Cleanup efforts continue as staff clear debris from City property and streets.

The Public Safety Department’s leadership and emergency response were instrumental in securing valuable resources, contributing to cleanup efforts, and working with law enforcement and the National Guard to prevent additional fires from starting.

The Parks and Recreation Department converted the Duarte Community Center into an Evacuation Center and offered the Fitness Center’s showers to those affected by power outages.

To support City staff as they worked long hours, local restaurants such as Buffalo Wild Wings GO, Cabrera’s Mexican Restaurant, Morralito Mexican Grill, and Max’s Mexican Cuisine graciously donated meals. Tyson Food, in collaboration with Walmart, also provided food donations for residents impacted by the wildfire and Denny’s offered meals to the National Guard while they were deployed in Duarte. A heartfelt thank you goes to these businesses, as well as to Anytime Fitness, EZ Dog Wash, WaterFount, Foothill Unity Center, and Upper San Gabriel Valley for their generous contributions and for providing essential resources to the community during this challenging time.

Additionally, Burrtec Waste Services provided two, 40-yard bins at the Duarte Civic Center Parking Lot for residents to dispose of their green waste.

“It’s inspiring what we can accomplish when we all work together to overcome major hurdles,” said Mayor Cesar A. Garcia. “The City of Duarte is grateful for everyone who contributed to keeping our community safe.”