Dear Editor:
Keep Cypress United wants to congratulate the Cypress City Council and all members of Cypress government management for giving our city a strong financial picture. Thanks to the city council maintaining a fiscally responsible majority, our total fund balance was up 25% in 2022 over the previous year and our debts are less than half of our assets. This is fantastic news, especially when you see what is happening in many neighboring communities.
Look at surrounding cities and you will frequently find that they are not as financially well managed. There is NO utility tax in Cypress. Our sales tax is the lowest in neighboring cities and we don’t need a theme park to make that happen.
| Anaheim | 7.75% | (Disneyland) |
| Buena Park | 7.75% | (Knott’s Berry Farm) |
| Cerritos | 9.50% | |
| Cypress | 7.75% | |
| Garden Grove | 8.75% | |
| Hawaiian Gardens | 10.25% | |
| La Palma | 8.75% | |
| Lakewood | 10.25% | |
| Long Beach | 10.25% | |
| Los Alamitos | 9.25% | |
| Seal Beach | 8.75% | |
| Stanton | 8.75% |
In 2021 and 2022, the city council had a 4:1 fiscally responsible majority. For 2023-2024, that fiscally responsible majority was reduced to 3:2. It’s extremely important for our city to maintain a fiscally responsible majority of council members who are focused on continuing the multiple benefits of living and/or working in Cypress.
From our outstanding police department to an internationally known business corridor to offering many amenities in our small city, this success starts with a dedicated city council. Great job Cypress City Council!
Sincerely,
Keep Cypress United
Glenn Button, Dennis Brandt & Robin Itzler
Three of the Founding Members
Cypress needs vision. We are loosing businesses, closing schools, and fighting expensive, unwinnable lawsuits. Our city needs a relationship with our school district. We should be investing in our schools not selling them off to buy offices. The recent expenditures of $30M to build sports arenas at our city parks instead of updating our school fields was a missed opportunity and waste of resources; citizens should be able to use the schools we own. In this mismanagement our schools can’t compete, will loose luster, and property values will fall. We could have had great schools and great parks.
Also, the city is preparing to fight the CVRA Lawsuit that NO-ONE has won; cities have spent millions and lost. Cypress just spent $39k on legal fees to begin fighting districting. Why? Districts will give local representation to neighborhoods and allow all citizens the ability to fund successful campaigns. Districts will break up the political clique that is making short sighted and agenized, special interest decisions that don’t benefit the overall community.
I’m not seeing this fiscal responsibility you write about. I want a city where developers and vendors don’t control elections. And, where there is a vision for the community that unifies the school district and city, and preserves PS-1A public space.
Thanks, Keep Cypress United, for keeping Cypress citizens informed and for doing your Patriotic service to Cypress!