A dispute over a youth baseball contract in Ceres has expanded into broader concerns about children’s programs, following a contentious city council meeting in which residents spoke out and the city manager announced his resignation.<\/p>\n
The meeting, held on Monday, came days after a physical altercation between a city employee and leaders of Ceres Youth Baseball was captured on video and circulated online.<\/p>\n
During public comment, multiple residents urged city leaders to prioritize youth programs, warning that resources for children in the city are already limited.<\/p>\n
“Our youth in Ceres already has a hard time with things to do, and protecting our youth organizations is essential,” said resident Gary Condit, who ran against Mayor Javier Lopez in the last election.<\/p>\n
At the center of the dispute is a contract between the city and Ceres Youth Baseball, a nonprofit that has operated locally for more than 50 years. League leaders have said the city is attempting to bring in a for-profit organization to use the same fields \u2014 a move they argue could impact funding and operations.<\/p>\n
Mayor Lopez said the situation is under review by a third party and declined to provide further details.<\/p>\n
“It is an open investigation on not just the video that was uploaded, but also other matters,” Lopez said during Monday’s meeting.<\/p>\n
During that same meeting, City Manager Doug Dunford announced his resignation, citing a family emergency. Lopez said the decision was unrelated to the baseball dispute.<\/p>\n
Separately, concerns have grown over other youth programs in the city. Residents pointed to the cancellation of this year’s aquatic program, which the city’s recreation department attributed to budget constraints.<\/p>\n
“They also are on the verge of eliminating the swim program due to budget constraints,” Condit said.<\/p>\n
Ceres Youth Baseball leaders say the loss of programs like swimming highlights a larger issue.<\/p>\n
“My older two kids learned to swim here\u2026 now my youngest one cannot do it,” said league president Jorge Guerrero. “So what’s going to happen with baseball?”<\/p>\n
City officials have not taken final action on the baseball contract. League leaders say they plan to continue voicing their concerns at future meetings.<\/p>\n