LOS CERRITOS
Winner of Nineteen LA Press Club Awards from 2012-2021 Serving Cerritos and ten other surrounding communities since 1985 • September 4, 2026 • Vol. 41, No. 45 • LOSCERRITOSNEWS.NET
CERRITOS WATER RATES JUMPBUT NEIGHBORS STILL PAY MORE Even After the Increase, Cerritos Would Still Be Cheaper Than 12 of 15 Regional Neighbors
Average bimonthly residential water bill for 20 CCF every two months (5/8 inch by 3/4 inch meter) NORWALK LONG BEACH SANTA FE SPRINGS BELLFLOWER (CAL AMERICAN)
THE BOTTOM LINE FOR CERRITOS CUSTOMERS
WHITTIER/ LA MIRADA (SUBURBAN)
CERRITOS (Proposed Feb. 2026)
Previous average bimonthly bill
Source: City of Cerritos 2025 Water and Sewer Rate Study, Table 1-9. Neighboring agency rates effective as of May 2025. WHY RATES ARE RISING: The study found that Cerritos’ water and sewer rates have historically been substantially below those of nearby agencies because the General Fund subsidized the utilities. The new rates reduce that subsidy and move the systems toward financial self-sufficiency. See page 7.
By Brian Hews CERRITOS — Cerritos residents are facing a substantial increase in their water bills, but the city’s own rate study shows that even after the increase, customers would continue paying less than most residents served by other water agencies in the region. The comparison provides important context to the controversy surrounding the city’s
new water and sewer rates, which became the centerpiece of months of political fighting and ultimately an unsuccessful effort to recall city officials. According to the City of Cerritos 2025 Water and Sewer Rate Study, an example residential customer using 20 CCF of water every two months with a 5/8-inch by 3/4-inch meter had an average bimonthly bill of approximately $65.11. Under the February 2026
rate used in the study, that same bill rises to approximately $114.64 — an increase of $49.53 every two months. That is a significant increase. But the same city-commissioned study compared Cerritos with 15 other cities and water agencies and found that, even at $114.64, Cerritos would remain cheaper than 12 of them. Several neighboring communities were already charging
City refuses to release records on how officials arrived at $10 million payment to Downey Nissan.
DOWNEY — When Downey officials announced plans for a new Costco warehouse and gas station that would require relocating Downey Nissan, Mayor Claudia Frometa and the City Council trumpeted the project as a major economic victory that “would create hundreds of jobs, generate millions of dollars in new sales tax revenue and strengthen the city’s financial future.” But buried beneath the promises of jobs and new revenue was a $10 million taxpayer-funded payment to Downey Nissan to
cancel its lease. There’s one catch: Nissan doesn’t own the property. And after several California Public Records Act requests by Los Cerritos Community News — each increasingly narrow, specific and direct — along with questions to Mayor Frometa, Downey refuses to explain how it determined that terminating Nissan’s leasehold interest was worth $10 million. Records show that Andrews Rancho Del Norte owns the property. BCH Holdings LLC, the entity associated with Downey Nissan, holds a longterm leasehold interest in the property under a Construction See DOWNEY, Page 5
Every two months
Based on the rate-study example: 20 CCF every two months (5/8” x 3/4” meter).
Downey’s Costco Deal: $10M to Cancel a Lease It Won’t Explain BY Brian Hews
Study’s Feb. 2026 proposed bill
more when the comparison was prepared. Norwalk’s comparable bimonthly bill was $153.48, nearly $39 more than Cerritos. Long Beach was $138.70, Santa Fe Springs $122.20 and California American Water customers in Bellflower were paying $120.10. Suburban Water Systems customers in the Whittier/La Mirada area were at $115.76 — still slightly higher than Cerri-
•$10 million taxpayer-funded payment to Downey Nissan to cancel its lease •Nissan does not own the property — Andrews Rancho Del Norte does •$7.426 million loan secured by Nissan’s leasehold interest in 2023 •$20.8 million from Costco toward construction of the replacement Nissan dealership •162,000-square-foot Costco and 40pump gas station planned •Downey won’t disclose how it calculated the $10 million payment
See WATER, Page 7
NLMUSD Schools Complete Massive 3.2Megawatt Solar Project at 12 District Sites 25-Year agreement with Luminace expected to cut energy costs and offset 2,380 metric tons of carbon dioxide annually. By Vincent Medina
DOWNEY COSTCO DEAL
tos’ $114.64. The comparison is based on rates effective as of May 2025 and the same 20 CCF bimonthly usage example used in the Cerritos rate study. The numbers don’t make the Cerritos increase small. A household represented by the study’s example would see its bill rise by roughly 76%. They do, however, show
NLMUSD officials held a grand opening Tuesday at the District Office to mark the completion of the project. The solar arrays are expected to lower energy costs, reduce the district’s use of electricity generated from fossil fuels and offset about 2,380 metric tons of carbon dioxide each year, according to a press release from the school district. The solar panels were installed at Benton Middle School, Corvallis Middle School, the District Office, Dolland Elementary School, Gardenhill
Elementary School, Hutchinson Middle School, La Mirada High School, Los Alisos Middle School, Moffitt Elementary School, Morrison Elementary School, Norwalk High School and Ramona Head Start. Superintendent Tania Magaña said the work advances both environmental and budget goals. “This project is a win for our students, our schools, and our community,” Magaña said. “By expanding our use of clean solar energy, we are helping reduce emissions and contribute to cleaner air for the families we serve. Through our partnership with Luminace, the District was able to bring this project to our campuses without upfront costs while securing long-term energy cost stability. That allows us to be responsible stewards of public resources and continue See NLMUSD, Page 6