Mayor Serratto says his work to deliver results takes dedication

By Jonathan Whitaker l September 26, 2024

There’s no doubt Matthew Serratto, as mayor of Merced, is deeply committed to the city, and willing to roll up his sleeves and get to work in all corners — from a 9 p.m. cleanup in a dark alley on the south side of town, to a 9 a.m. meeting about new development surrounding the UC Merced campus.

In Serratto’s leadership role and decision-making on the City Hall dais, he’s proven to be practical and pragmatic, engaged and responsive, as well as focused on specific achievable goals during challenging times.

And he’s battle-tested.

Serratto was a member of the City Council when Covid-19 hit in 2020, and he started his first mayoral term a year later, still in the depths of the pandemic, with all the state mandates, local Public Health warnings, the mask-wearing, the remote discussions, and of course, all the efforts to keep residents safe and support struggling businesses.
In recent times of nationwide social unrest, he also helped navigate tense and heated discussions about the operation of this city’s Police Department, as well as calls for more protections and benefits for the city’s most disadvantaged people. More often than not, Serratto encouraged an open dialogue between his colleagues and among the community at large, and welcomed the inevitable clash of ideas with emotional maturity.

Then there were the floods of early 2023, the neighborhood streets underwater, and the damage to Bear Creek. That’s when Serratto organized the Midnight Madness Storm Crew that went to work cleaning up the heavily impacted Merced Mini-Storage, toured the aftermath with Senator Caballero, discussed issues with Governor Newsom, and helped at the Disaster Recovery Center.

Serratto’s community work has earned him the title of the “People’s Mayor” as awarded by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

These days, in addition to his city duties, and his regular job as an assistant chief deputy district attorney for Stanislaus County, the 44-year-old Serratto is in the midst of a reelection campaign. He faces Anthony Martinez, a repeat challenger and former City Council member, in the General Election that culminates on Nov. 5.

In many ways, the mayor’s very own job description is a statement on his dedication and performance for voters to consider.

“I guess you could be elected mayor, and then just show up to meetings,” he explains. “But for me, it’s being present in the community, it’s being at events, it’s working with people, and on top of that, it’s working on big initiatives. … It’s working with big agency partners to really drive the agenda, drive policy and achievements.

“It’s the volunteer efforts you spearhead as well, like the monthly dinners at the homeless shelter, the park cleanups, and the fundraising for community-based projects. I do all of that.

“And then it’s the communication. The emails. The phone calls. The Facebook messages, and all my social media posts.

“Being the mayor is a hard, difficult job that comes with a lot of pressure. You have to respond to people, and do it well. You are consistently under the microscope. So you have to be able to thrive under those situations and deliver.”

Despite the aforementioned challenges, Serratto says he is taking the lead and helping the City Council deliver for all residents during an exciting time when big changes to improve quality of life are underway.

Here are several areas the mayor highlights:

Community cleanups

The mayor is well known for organizing regular cleanups throughout the city’s neighborhoods and parks — ever since he filled a 53-foot big rig with old mattresses, sofas and other garbage in the Loughborough neighborhood at the start of his 2020 campaign. He has since led about six big cleanups a year, along with dozens and dozens of smaller ones, including in partnership with the Bear Creek Yacht Club. He estimates the overall effort is responsible for clearing out 200 tons of trash from the streets. “And we see it work,” Serratto says. “We see a dramatic decline, year to year, in the places where we do deep cleaning drives. It’s also a way to bring about awareness of illegal dumping.”

Homelessness

There has been a 12 percent decline in homelessness from 2021 to 2024, Serratto points out, and that’s against a statewide increase of 12 to 13 percent. “We have held the line with a lot of great people working on it. We have the county’s navigation center along with our city’s 1213 V St. project that provides housing and outreach. Our Police Department is partnering with county resources that provide Behavioral Health programs and drug treatment.”

Public Safety

Serratto says the city has experienced a reduction in overall crime for the past two years. The City Council has hired a new police chief, marking a turnaround for the department, and improved morale. The city has also inked new contracts with officers that include better pay and benefits. Staffing levels are nearly full, and the department is increasing its presence in the community as well as boosting special task force deployments. A recent Measure C renewal by voters continues to add needed funding for both cops and fire. Traffic safety is being boosted by the addition of red light cameras and speed limit trailer displays.

Parks and Recreation

The CP42 Sports Complex project is underway in southeast Merced, and promises to transform the area. It’s a whopping 40 acres, with an additional 40 acres just north of it that could also be added. It will start with four lighted soccer fields and many other sports amenities. McNamara Park has already been transformed with new bathrooms, playgrounds, and other facilities. At Applegate, Laura Fountain is being restored, the basketball court has been resurfaced, and both the Zoo and Kiddieland are undergoing upgrades. In the north, Vang Pao Park will be taking shape, and in central Merced, the Ada Givens Community Pool has been brought back to life.

Downtown Facelift

A new street reconfiguration is coming soon to the Main Street area, as well as an expansion of Bob Hart Square (See public notice on Page 15.) A new improvement district led by downtown property owners is also coming online shortly, and they plan to orchestrate landscaping improvements, a shuttle service, and a new ambassador program for those visiting downtown for shopping and entertainment.

Special Projects

The city is currently upgrading street lights throughout the city with brighter bulbs. The finishing touches are being applied to a new airport terminal building. New welcome monuments are on the way for the city’s entry points. Planning to create quiet zones near railroad crossings continues and $6 million in state funds is about to be used on the revitalization of Bear Creek.

Sidewalk Safety

The Motel Drive sidewalk project has been completed, and the long-awaited multiuse path between Golden Valley High School and Weaver School is underway.

City Fire Addition

The Fire Department has added 20-plus firefighters, and is expanding its emergency health care role in the community. Planning is ongoing for a new Bellevue Station that has already received a $4 million grant.

Public Art

There have been dozens and dozens of new public art projects throughout the city. Mayor Serratto was influential in fundraising efforts to pay for the first round of artists who painted utility boxes in the downtown area.

UC Merced Area

“We are laying the framework for generations of growth,” the mayor says, “and it’s starting to materialize with our recent UC Merced annexation and the Virginia Smith Trust project area that will be coming into the city later in October.”

Housing Developments

The city is experiencing steady new housing growth in both single-family homes and multi-family apartments, including at: Yosemite and McKee, 200 units; at Yosemite and R, 200 units, at Lake and Yosemite, 900 units, at Devonwood near Walmart, 156 units, at Parsons and Yosemite Parkway, 108 units; and at 18th and I streets, 54 units. There are also supportive housing projects for struggling residents at 1213 V St., 96 units, Childs and R, 20 units, 13th and G, 58 units, 13th and Canal, with 50 units, and Childs and B with 119 units.

“Between government housing projects and market-rate apartments there’s over 1,000 units in the pipeline for the City of Merced,” the mayor says.

Mayor Serratto says he’s grown in the position and has slightly changed the way he runs regular City Council meetings over the years.

“I think it was a conscious decision on my part, at the beginning, to make sure everybody’s voice was heard. I think I learned a lot under very challenging times on how to run meetings. Discussions are good to find out where my colleagues and residents stand on the issues. We can have those big policy arguments. But at the end of the day, we have to hunker down and conduct city business so we can get things done.”

The mayor describes himself as a middle-of-the-road policy maker.

“I’m pro-business, but I support labor. I’m pro-development but with environmental concerns addressed. I’m pro-public safety, but at the same time, I believe our authorities need to act with a lot of responsibility and we need to hold them to a high standard.

“I’m also extremely accessible. I’m someone who is extremely dedicated and has knowledge of the issues. If I’m not digging carts out of Bear Creek, I’m dealing with the governor or some federal official on issues concerning this city. And I feel I have a broad range of skills that I bring to the table.”

Serratto says he continues to be inspired by his demanding city service job that only offers a $500 stipend and requires at least 30 hours a week of direct public engagement.
“I love the opportunity to serve. I love this city. I love the people here. It’s an honor of a lifetime to be able to do this. I think we have really delivered in a big way over the last couple of years. We have worked on a number of great projects to help move the city forward. And there’s a lot more to come.”