The City of Manteca now has a mission statement.

And it may soon also have a new city logo.

The City Council Tuesday adopted Manteca’s first ever mission statement that was fine-tuned by a committee of municipal workers.

They also authorized a contest seeking a new logo design that will be open to Manteca city residents of all ages. The design selected will earn the artist $500, an engraved copy of the first logo reproduced as the official city seal with their name on it, and a ceremonial key to the city.

The cost is minuscule compared to the last effort launched by previous City Manager Elena Reyes to rebrand Manteca by spending $50,000 plus on a consultant to come up with a marketing logo and a new website. That effort essentially did not generate anything that the city ended up using.

In a memo to the council, management analyst Johanna Ferriera noted, “The City’s current logo has been in place for many years and while it has gone through some modifications, it remains fundamentally the same as the day it was introduced.  While brand recognition through the use of a logo is extremely important, the City’s current logo is difficult to read and does not represent the forward thinking organization the City has become.  In an effort to build positive brand recognition and awareness and provide standards for consistently representing the City, staff is recommending the initiation of a logo contest to update the City logo.”

The modifications Ferreira refers to includes the removal of a cross atop of a church that appears on the right side of the logo next to a home with a chimney and two trees behind it. The alteration was done with no fanfare by staff in the mid-1990s to avoid the city running afoul with anyone that might sue Manteca for promoting religion via the city seal. Even though the end result was to try and make the church look like a McMansion of sorts, it still remained with two windows that are shaped like traditional stained glass windows found in some churches. 

The contest will allow multiple entries although all work submitted must be in an electronic format.

 A City logo committee will determine the top three designs, after which a vote of the public will be conducted. The design with the most votes will be the logo contest winner with the concurrence of the council majority.

The mission statement was crafted by representatives of all city departments with three options presented at a quarterly employee meeting. The two heavy favorites in the voting were merged into one mission statement that reads: “A thriving city with a small town feel at the crossroads of California whose heart is rooted in family values, patriotic tradition, and community service. We embrace diversity, innovation and recreation. We are the Family City.”

City Manager Tim Ogden noted a Google search came up with only one other municipalities that references itself as “The Family City.” No mention was made of trying to replace “The Family City” as the city slogan.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com