Guest Opinion | Mayor Victor Gordo: We Will Rise to the Occasion

Dear City of Pasadena: 

As some of you may know, Pasadena City Manager Steve Mermell informed the City Council earlier this week of his decision to retire in early December. While we will have many opportunities in the months ahead to express more deeply our appreciation for Steve, let me just say that he has been invaluable to the  City of Pasadena in so many ways over the past thirty years, including the last five-plus as our City  Manager. He fostered creative collaboration between our public and private sectors to address the needs of our community. He worked with his leadership team and our City Council to ensure City services remained strong and adapted as needed, while ensuring we remained fiscally sound. He led our City’s unprecedented response to the worldwide pandemic. Steve’s distinguished service and commitment to our  City’s employees and residents will not soon be forgotten.  

On Monday, the City Council will begin formal discussions to define the inclusive process of a national search for a new City Manager and to ensure a seamless transition, and we will share those details with you when they have been confirmed. In the meantime, Steve will continue in his role until his retirement date of December 2nd and the Council and I am confident that he—along with our incredible City employees and Department heads—will continue to serve the City with distinction. 

Our City has undergone leadership transitions in the past, both on the elected and professional fronts, and  I am confident that we will once again rise to the occasion. Despite the challenges we face—including homelessness and housing, economic development, public safety, and ensuring our youth, particularly our youngest, have the support needed to address the impacts of the pandemic—I know that with the  foundation set by Steve, our City staff’s commitment and unrelenting work ethic and the passion and compassion of our City residents, there is nothing that we cannot achieve together. Our City government will continue to embrace our mission of delivering exemplary municipal services responsive to our entire community and consistent with our history, culture and unique character.  

Our well wishes to Steve on his pending retirement and I will be in touch soon with additional  information. 

 Sincerely, 

  

 VICTOR M. GORDO 

 Mayor