Former Mayor Rick Cole Will Run for District 2 Council Seat

Former Pasadena Mayor Rick Cole announced on Wednesday he will be running for City Council to succeed Felicia Williams who is seeking a seat in the State Assembly in next year’s March election.

Cole confirmed to Pasadena Now early Wednesday his intention to run.

“Returning to my hometown and serving on our Planning Commission, I realize that Pasadena needs to live up to the promise in our General Plan that ‘citizen participation will be a permanent part of achieving a greater city,’” Cole told Pasadena Now. “Whether it was reining in soaring rents, establishing civilian oversight of policing, promoting public transit and biking, ending Pasadena Water and Power’s dependence on dirty coal or standing for working people to earn a decent wage, City Hall has been slow to respond to the community. I believe Pasadena should lead and again be an example that other communities follow. Together, we can create a safer, greener and more inclusive community.”

Cole, who works as Chief Deputy Controller for the City of Los Angeles, has a long history of public service.

After his three terms as a Pasadena Councilmember, he served six years as City Manager of Azusa, nine years as City Manager of Ventura and five years as City Manager of Santa Monica. Known for his leadership in fiscal management, urban planning and citizen engagement, Cole was honored as one of Governing Magazine’s “Public Officials of the Year” and has been recognized for his achievements by the American Society for Public Administration, the Municipal Management Association of Southern California and Government Technology Magazine.

Cole announced he will run a vigorous, issues-based campaign in the neighborhoods of north central Pasadena, going door to door as he did when he was first elected at age 29.

“I think people are tired of negative, special interest-funded campaigns,” he said. “I’ll limit campaign contributions to $250 and take no funding from any company, union or individual that has business with the city.”

Planning Commissioner Steve Olivas and Community Leader Lena Kennedy will co-chair the volunteer efforts of the campaign. Local political veteran and former City Commissioner Jon Fuhrman, who managed Cole’s first campaign for Council, will serve as Treasurer.

“The response to my series in Pasadena Now of 10 Grand Challenges to Transform Pasadena’s Future convinces me that our community is ready to invest in leaving a better city for the next generation,” Cole noted. “We can achieve carbon-free energy by 2030, we can re-open our Central Library as a 21st Century learning center, we can raise standards for the design of new housing and we can end homelessness in Pasadena.”

A father of three adult children, Cole lives in the Bungalow Heaven neighborhood. In addition to serving on the Planning Commission, he teaches part-time as an Assistant Professor in the Urban and Environmental Policy Institute at Occidental College and is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Public Policy at Pepperdine University.

Cole attended Pasadena public schools, graduating from Blair High and received his bachelor’s degree from Occidental College and masters from Columbia University. He is an active member of the International City/County Managers Association, the Government Finance Officers Association and the American Planning Association.

He previously served as the chair of the Leadership Council of the National League of Cities.

Cole’s campaign website is www.rickcoleforcouncil.com.