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ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Over the course of Sergio Contreras’ nearly two decade-long career in public service, he has given a voice to the voiceless and brought real change to the communities he's served.

 

As a Midway City Sanitary District Director, former Councilmember, former School Board member, and Executive Director of United for Student Success, Sergio has actively worked to clean up the streets of Orange County, making his area a more desirable place to live, work and play. 

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Sergio Has Led the Following Efforts:

Protecting the Health & Safety of our Community

  • Maintaining trash collection service rates as the lowest in the county

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  • ​​Providing uninterrupted service to residents during the COVID-19 pandemic;

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  • ​Developing and expanding outreach and education efforts to improve communication with our community;

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  • ​Hosting 18 bulky-item clean-up events at no additional cost to help residents keep over 400 tons of unwanted items off our streets; and

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  • ​Implementing a mattress recycling program that saved over $34,000 in tonnage fees and generated $19,000 in new revenue.

Improving Educational Opportunities for Local Students

  • Passed a $130 million school bond to modernize the city’s school facilities and make them safer, while also recruiting and retaining more teachers as President of the Westminster School Board.
     

  • Established an all-day kindergarten system, making Westminster School District the first in Orange County to provide day-long kindergarten at all school sites.
     

  • Expanded after school programs to keep kids off the streets and worked to provide extended-day learning opportunities to help students with English and math. He also increased access to music and arts programs and computers district-wide. 
     

  • Created and led “Youth Career Connections” through his role as the Senior Director of Education and Healthy Schools for Orange County United Way, a work-based learning initiative that infuses classroom learning with real-world experiences by connecting students directly to employers.​

Enhanced Government Transparency and

Expanded Resources for Local Families

  • Created and implemented an employee reporting hotline to ensure greater transparency and accountability in Westminster’s local government. The hotline helps employees anonymously address issues such as corruption, sexual harassment, fraud, and other ethics issues, thus promoting a workplace culture that deters bad behavior and upholds regulatory standards.
     

  • Upgraded the Westminster Family Resource Center to help families in need.

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  • Initiated Westminster's first-ever live English-Vietnamese interpretation service at council meetings

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  • Introduced city council term limits

Addressing Homelessness and Boosting Business Climate

  • Approved additional funding and services directed in combating homelessness in Westminster.
     

  • Initiated Westminster's Economic Development Strategic Plan to help provide city resources to enhance the opportunities for businesses to succeed.

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  • Approved 135 affordable housing units

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  • Initiated Westminster's first-ever Homeless Task Force

Upgrading Parks and City Infrastructure

  • Enacted the largest upgrade to Westminster’s park system since 1996, encompassing 22 park facilities and representing a $10.4 million investment in community facilities. 
     

  • Oversaw the city’s first general plan update in decades, and also led the effort to create the city’s first Parks & Recreation Facilities Master Plan.
     

  • Initiated and unanimously approved Orange County’s first Active Transportation Plan, allowing Westminster to access $2.8 million in grant funding for complete streets projects.
     

  • Installed emergency call boxes in all Westminster parks to enhance public safety, and placed outdoor exercise equipment in local parks to improve public health, at no cost to taxpayers.
     

  • Orchestrated the cleanup of Hoover Street by creating an award-winning bike and pedestrian trail for residents and visitors to enjoy.
     

  • Led efforts and secured state grant funding to create the Mendez Monument Park and Mendez Freedom Trail in honor of the desegregation case that put Westminster on the map and created a partnership with the Orange County Department of Education to develop curriculum on the Mendez Trail. Once completed, this project will make Westminster a historical destination for students throughout Orange County to visit and appreciate.​

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