David Burke, Cypress City Council Member

04/07/2026

It’s not every day that you get to rappel down the side of a building, use the “jaws of life”, or put out a live fire, so it was an immense privilege for me to participate in the Orange County Fire Authority’s Fire Ops event!

The event gave some local elected officials and media members a chance to experience a few of the challenges our local fire fighters face every day. I had a ton of fun but I also learned a lot. I was particularly impressed by not just the wide array of skills and knowledge our firefighters need to perform their jobs, but by their soft skills as well.

It’s hard enough to head into a burning building or use spreaders and cutters to safely extract an injured person from an overturned vehicle. On top of that, firefighters are trained to be great communicators and help keep individuals calm so that they have the best chance to make it through these incredibly stressful and dangerous situations.

Thank you to the Orange County Fire Authority and OC Firefighters, Local 3631 for the opportunity and their hard work. We are lucky to have them at our service here in Orange County!

03/24/2026

What do new playground equipment in parks, using drones to assist police officers, and taking on illegal dumping have in common?

They're all part of Cypress's ambitious new strategic plan!

02/26/2026

Great news—we finally passed meaningful campaign finance reform in Cypress!

For too long Cypress city elections have been plagued by shady money and mysterious mailers. On Monday, the city council finalized an ordinance that will do two things:

1) Lower the campaign contribution limit from $5,900 to $1,250.
2) Require groups or PACs that spend money to influence elections to identify who is really funding the group or PAC right on the mailer.

These reforms will make it more difficult for special interests to exert undue influence over elections. And they should help voters understand who is really supporting the candidates running for local office.

The ordinance passed 4 to 1 with support from Mayor Medrano, Mayor Pro Tem Chang, Council Member Strong Carnahan, and myself. Thank you to my colleagues for their support.

Finally, a huge thank you to YOU, the residents.

In recent years, you have elected independent minded council members who did not ride a wave of shady special interest money into office. You voted for a council majority that puts residents first. Thank you for helping bring more integrity to our city’s government!

Cypress officials reduced city council campaign contribution limits from $5,900 to $1,250 per donor ahead of November's elections.

02/24/2026

I am very excited to welcome Shannon Delong to Cypress as our new city manager!

We were fortunate to have many great candidates to choose from. Ultimately, the council chose Shannon, who I believe will be a great fit for our city. She has fantastic experience and brings positive energy. I am confident she will serve with the level of honesty and integrity that our residents deserve.

With a fantastic team in place at city hall, our great city has an even brighter future!

CITY NEWS: Cypress City Council Appoints Shannon DeLong as City Manager

The Cypress City Council is proud to announce the appointment of Shannon DeLong as the City’s next City Manager. With her appointment, DeLong becomes the tenth City Manager in Cypress’ history and the first woman to hold the position.

The City’s nationwide search drew a strong field of candidates. Five individuals were interviewed, with three advancing to second-round interviews before the City Council unanimously appointed DeLong at their February 23 meeting.

“Shannon distinguished herself throughout the recruitment process with her depth of experience, strategic insight and clear commitment to public service,” said Mayor Leo Medrano. “Her leadership marks an exciting new chapter for our City and we look forward to the energy and vision she brings to Cypress.”

DeLong currently serves as Assistant City Manager for the City of Whittier, a role she has held since June 2018. During her tenure, she has overseen key operational initiatives, including establishment of the Whittier Navigation Center, expansion of the historic Central Library and remodeling of the Uptown Senior Center, along with the upgrade of numerous parks and public facilities. She supported long-range fiscal planning, and organizational development, and served as Whittier’s Interim City Manager during a period of executive transition.

“I am honored by the City Council’s trust in appointing me as City Manager. Cypress benefits from strong leadership, dedicated staff, and engaged residents, and I am excited to build strong relationships with our community members and business owners as we work together to serve this exceptional City,” said DeLong.

Prior to joining Whittier, DeLong spent more than a decade with the City of Downey, where she advanced through several leadership roles, including Assistant to the City Manager, Library Director, and Interim Executive Director of the Columbia Memorial Space Center. DeLong also served as Acting Deputy Executive Officer of the Gateway Water Management Authority and worked for The Aerospace Corporation, a federally funded research and development facility. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from UCLA and a Master of Business Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

DeLong is expected to assume her duties on March 30.

01/08/2026

In 2025, what Orange County city had a drop in crime, a healthy budget surplus, initiated a plan to rejuvenate local playgrounds, and made council meetings more transparent and accessible?

Cypress, of course!

I know it’s not easy to keep up with local government, so please check out this article to learn about some of the fantastic progress we made in Cypress last year, and why I’m more optimistic than ever about our city government’s future in 2026!

CypressEditorialGovernmentOpinion A Year of Progress In Cypress By For Event-News Enterprise - December 30, 2025 0 It was a tremendous honor to serve as the mayor of Cypress in 2025, in part because it gave me a unique window into our city government and the pulse of our community. As we move into 2...

11/26/2025

Hello Cypress!

We will be having a special city council meeting this Friday 11/28 at 4:00pm to fill the vacant seat on the council. It's unfortunate that it falls on the Friday after Thanksgiving, but we have a 11/30 legal deadline to meet, so here we are.

You can come comment in person, or send in a comment via email to [email protected]. Thank you to the many residents who have already reached out to express your perspective.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and perhaps I'll see you on Friday.

STATEMENT FROM THE CITY OF CYPRESS

Cypress City Council to Hold Special Meeting Regarding Vacant Council Seat

(Cypress, Calif.) — Following the appointment made on November 19 to fill the vacant at-large Cypress City Council seat, the individual appointed has notified the City of his withdrawal from the appointment process.

The Cypress City Council will convene a special meeting on Friday, November 28 at 4 p.m. to determine next steps for filling the vacancy in a manner that upholds transparency and compliance with all applicable requirements.

Residents may participate in the meeting in person by visiting the City Council Chambers or online. Information about online participation will be shared on the City’s website and social media channels later this week.

11/24/2025

Thank you to everyone who made last week’s interfaith event a success! We had speakers from many different faiths who succinctly shared some of their core beliefs. What stood out to me was the universal principles that bring us together.

Multiple speakers mentioned a version of “The Golden Rule”—not treating others in a way that you would like to be treated. Or the importance of community service and helping those less fortunate.
It wonderful to have such a diverse group in one room, enjoying, food, music, and conversation.

I will try to get a video of the event up shortly and to those who have asked, yes, I am planning to organize a similar event next year!

11/17/2025

If you don't use the Cypress Central App yet, please check out this video to learn how you can use it to quickly report problems like trees that need trimming, graffiti removal, etc. that our city staff can address!

11/13/2025

I hope you can join me on November 18th at 6:30pm at the Cypress Community Center for our interfaith event!

11/05/2025

CalFresh (SNAP) benefits for many Californians may be delayed in November due to the federal shutdown. For anyone in need of food, here is a list of food pantries in Cypress, provided by Second Harvest Food Bank.

You can also learn more through the "Get Help" or "Give Help" links at https://feedoc.org/. Or call 2-1-1 for additional assistance.

11/04/2025

Thank you George and Lynn Pardon for your many contributions to our city!

CypressGovernmentNews Burke praises spirit of Cypress by naming couple in State of the City address By David N. Young - October 30, 2025 0 George Pardon and his wife Lynne get a shout-out from Mayor David Burke during the 2025 State of the City address in Cypress. Courtesy photo Among the items ment...