City Council Candidate Hadjian Promises More Stewardship of Public Funds

Pasadena Now sent all local City Council candidates vying for seats in the June election several questions. The responses are being run as they come in.

In District 7, candidate and former Commissioner of three city commissions Ciran Hadjian is running against local Commissioners Jason Lyon and Allen Shay.

Hadjian was born in Pasadena, where she and her husband raised their children. Her education and professional experience has been focused on solving the housing, sustainability and transportation complexities relating to cities.

Ciran has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Urban Planning and an MBA in Finance from the University of Southern California. As a professional, she worked with community leaders to formulate broad, long-range policy documents to protect neighborhood quality of life, conserve historical buildings and craft development policies using community goals.

Over the past 20 years, Ciran has served as a City of Pasadena Planning Commissioner, a City of Pasadena Library Commissioner and a City of Pasadena Recreation and Parks Commissioner. She currently is a senior volunteer Committee Chair with the Pasadena Tournament of Roses.

What are the top issues facing your district?

Overdevelopment, traffic, affordable housing, environmental sustainability, public safety and schools. I will protect and improve the quality of life in District 7, including conserving historical buildings, implement development policies using community goals that preserve our urban forest and create a sustainable city.

2. What do you bring to the City Council?

I will bring relevant Pasadena, city planning, and financial know-how, experience and education. My education and work experience has been focused on solving the housing, sustainability and transportation complexities relating to cities. I will provide much needed oversight and stewardship of public funds. I also bring passion and inclination for community building and engagement. I will improve communication and responsiveness for better decision-making. I take the idea of representative democracy very seriously and will always seek to represent the will of District 7 residents. I intend to use technology, apps and texts to regularly connect and survey constituents of District 7. I will be their advocate at City Hall. My goal is to continue to ensure Pasadena is a city that flourishes now and for generations to come.

What is the most valuable quality the next City Manager must possess?

The next City Manager should have strong financial and managerial skills and the ability to delegate, empower and motivate staff/departments to be creative and effective. The City Manager should be responsive to the City Council and to Pasadena residents. The top priorities should be fiscal discipline, ensure a sustainable community for generations to come, use resources wisely, and maintain the architecturally significant fabric of our neighborhoods and institutions. The City Manager should advocate for and require developers to meet and exceed Pasadena ideals and goals outlined in the General Plan and Specific Plans.

The City Council will not choose the police chief, but how can the next chief reassure critics in light of the McClain shooting?

The new Police Chief must identify ways we can more effectively protect life and property. Being a police officer is a tough job with a lot of responsibility, but the Police Department ultimately answers to residents for its performance, not the other way around and a new Chief must understand and accept oversight. I have listened to District 7 residents who want to improve our relationship with police officers and I will orchestrate a variety of periodic events in our District aimed at bringing people together to connect, converse, build relationships and solve problems together.

Rents are at an all-time high, how do we keep people in their homes?

A definite concern among District 7 residents is housing affordability—both rents and mortgages. Personal wages are not keeping up with rents, and renters who want to purchase a home are shut out. I support our inclusionary ordinance that designates a percentage of units in new developments as affordable. I will also work to implement rent control measures that protect residents from landlords who attempt to exact exorbitant rents, threaten eviction or abandon repairs and maintenance. Pasadena must remain an economically diverse community with access to local job opportunities and affordable housing choices.

If you could change anything in the City Charter what would it be?

I believe we should look at term limits and strengthen our anti-corruption efforts. Too much of City business is being conducted behind the scenes by a small group of insiders.

Why should local residents in your district give you their vote?

I am the most experienced and best-qualified candidate. I was born in our District and it is where my husband and I raised our children. My education and professional experience have been focused on solving the housing, sustainability and transportation complexities relating to cities.

I have contributed 30 years of community service and leadership in Pasadena, covering a wide range of community, civic, and educational initiatives. I served as a City of Pasadena Planning Commissioner, Chair of both the City of Pasadena Library Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals and as a City of Pasadena Recreation and Parks Commissioner. I served as a Community Advisor to a Pasadena Mayoral Advisory Group. I Co-Chaired my east Caltech Neighborhood Association. I served on the Boards of the Pasadena Senior Center and Pasadena Planned Parenthood. My husband and I are PUSD parents and I serve as a PUSD volunteer.

I have a bachelor’s degree from UCLA, a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Cal Poly Pomona, and an MBA from USC. I also have an Executive Certificate in Public Management from the JFK School of Government at Harvard. As a professional, I worked with communities to formulate broad, long-range policy documents to protect neighborhood quality of life, conserve historical buildings and craft development policies using community goals.

I am the candidate that residents can trust to remain neighborhood-focused and represent their views faithfully.