Framed by bird songs from the Yuhaaviatam of San Manuel Nation and ceremonial introductions by City of San Bernardino Public Information Officer Jeff Kraus, city leaders took to the stage on Oct. 14 to deliver the 2025 State of the City address inside the freshly restored California Theatre.
The two-hour event offered a public display of unity and progress, staged within the city’s 97-year-old downtown landmark, recently renovated with $6.8 million in public funds. With its gleaming gold accents and red velvet curtains, the venue underscored a theme echoed throughout the night: San Bernardino is working to reestablish pride—visually, economically, and politically. But while the speeches outlined recent gains in housing, public safety and infrastructure, they also left several long-standing issues unaddressed and delivered few new announcements.
Mayor Helen Tran opened the event by calling the city’s forward movement a “team effort,” pointing to a projected increase in police staffing. “In 2025, San Bernardino will have more police officers than we’ve had since 2012,” she said, calling public safety the foundation of a healthy city…