Colton Mayor Frank Navarro Seeks Reelection With Focus on Completing Major Projects

For Colton Mayor Frank Navarro, the argument for another term centers on continuing work already underway, such as the Sports Complex, improving traffic circulation, expanding recreational opportunities and maintaining city services amid rising costs. In an interview with City News Group, Navarro outlined a reelection platform emphasizing financial management, public safety and his long-standing relationships with regional, state and federal officials. He described those partnerships as essential to securing resources for projects the city cannot readily fund on its own. The project is a centerpiece of his reelection campaign and an example of the relationships he says are necessary to bring outside funding into Colton. Among those partners is State Sen. Eloise Gómez Reyes, who helped secure funding for the development and has endorsed Navarro’s bid to remain mayor. Reyes announced her support publicly, and Navarro’s campaign also lists her endorsement. Navarro has served as mayor since 2018, following earlier service on the City Council and Planning Commission. His campaign biography identifies regional responsibilities involving transportation, water and public safety as significant parts of his public service His submitted background material also highlights his Army Reserve service and retirement as a master sergeant. He connects that experience with discipline, duty and leadership, while identifying his role as the father of public safety officers as another influence on his priorities. Financial stability is a central theme of Navarro’s campaign. He credits his tenure with eight consecutive balanced city budgets and identifies maintaining a minimum 15% General Fund reserve as a commitment for another term. He proposes addressing inflation and rising operating expenses through commercial development and careful spending, with public safety and public works receiving priority. The city’s fiscal year 2026–27 budget adds context to that assessment. Its budget message describes a structurally balanced General Fund that complies with reserve requirements. However, it also reports approximately $9.1 million in deferred operational, capital and staffing requests citywide, along with some reductions in services and operating expenditures. The document cautions that financial balance must be considered alongside those unmet needs. One of the most visible projects Navarro wants to advance is the city’s planned sports complex. He lists its development among his major accomplishments and says residents should evaluate another term partly by whether the city breaks ground and completes project phases. The city describes the sports facilities as part of an approximately 45-acre development combining recreation with habitat conservation. In August 2026, the City Council named the athletic portion Eloise Gómez Reyes Sports Complex–Juan Caldera Fields. According to the city, Reyes helped secure $18 million in state funding. Environmental conditions and coordination among multiple agencies have also shaped the project’s design and development. Navarro presents these investments as examples of the value of intergovernmental relationships. Their development also reflects the combined work of elected officials, city staff, funding partners and regulatory agencies. Traffic congestion remains another priority. Navarro identifies the Mount Vernon–Interstate 10 interchange and the Reche Canyon Road connection to Hunts Lane as important areas for continued work. Rep. Pete Aguilar’s office confirmed $4,166,000 for the Reche Canyon Road realignment to Hunts Lane in the 2023 federal government funding package. The project is intended to relieve congestion near the intersections of Washington Street with Hunts Lane and Reche Canyon Road. On public safety, Navarro supports increasing police staffing, strengthening traffic enforcement and pursuing grants for equipment and services. His responses cite patrol cameras, tactical radios and traffic vehicles among improvements, although they do not establish a specific staffing increase or a deadline for proposed response-time gains. Economic development is another component of his financial approach. Navarro cites the California University of Science and Medicine and several restaurant and hospitality businesses as examples of investment during his tenure. He proposes simplifying administrative processes for local businesses and attracting employers that strengthen the city’s revenue base. He also acknowledges concerns about industrial development. His responses support enforcing zoning and truck-route regulations and opposing projects with unacceptable neighborhood traffic impacts or insufficient benefits for residents. For homelessness, Navarro favors local outreach alongside county and state partnerships supporting housing and mental health services. To improve access to city government, he supports community workshops, translated notifications and closer communication with neighborhood organizations. His opposition to increased council compensation provides one example of his fiscal position. Inland Empire Community News reported that Navarro voted against the November 2025 proposal to raise monthly mayoral and council compensation from $682, including an automobile allowance, to $1,600. Supporters argued that increased compensation would make public service more accessible; Navarro expressed concern about the increase while residents faced household financial pressures. Asked how his approach differs from Council Member John Echevarria’s, Navarro emphasizes experience, financial management and regional collaboration. He also recognizes Echevarria’s dedication to his district and neighborhood safety. For another term, Navarro identifies three principal benchmarks: advancing the sports complex, maintaining financial reserves and completing targeted traffic improvements. His reelection campaign asks voters to weigh his record and relationships against the work that remains—and whether those resources can deliver measurable improvements throughout Colton.