Council to Vote on New City Manager’s Contract on Monday

The Pasadena City Council will vote on the employment contract for incoming City Manager Miguel Márquez at Monday’s meeting.

The city announced last week that the former judge will be formally introduced to the community during the City Council meeting on Monday, July 11.

An official starting date has not been announced. A city official said Márquez would start “sometime in August.”

Márquez was selected after an extensive search process, which included the recruitment of candidates, a review of candidate materials and select interviews with members of the City Council.

Márquez currently serves as the Chief Operating Officer of Santa Clara County. He is responsible for all operations of the County, the largest in northern California, with nearly two million residents, 22,000 full-time employees, and an annual operating budget in excess of $11 billion.

“My life’s journey and work have led me to this moment and opportunity,” Márquez said. “I look forward to learning about Pasadena, to engaging with and serving its residents, and to working alongside an exceptional staff. I am grateful to Mayor Gordo and the members of the City Council for their belief in me and my ability to bring about a shared vision of a just and inclusive community.”

Márquez has experience gained from overseeing the daily operations of the County, which serves a diverse urban and rural population. He was responsible for operations including the County’s public health department, health and hospital system, public safety and justice systems, social services agency, parks and recreation, the Emergency Operations Center (including helping to lead the County’s pandemic response), the Office of Supportive Housing (working to create sustainable and affordable housing), and working with the community to address social justice issues.

Prior to his current role in Santa Clara, Márquez served as an associate justice of the California Sixth District Court of Appeal, as the county counsel for the County of Santa Clara, as the general counsel of the San Francisco Unified School District, and as a deputy city attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. He began his public service career as a deputy county counsel in San Mateo County. He has also worked for two private law firms (Cooley Godward LLP and Remcho, Johansen & Purcell), and as a management consultant at KPMG Peat Marwick, where he was part of a national financial and organizational consulting practice.

He was the first Latino justice to be confirmed to the Sixth District Court of Appeals.

Márquez’s parents immigrated to the United States from México with only a limited amount of formal education.

Spanish was his first language as a child.

Early childhood education programs he attended inspired his commitment to public service.

The city has been searching for a new city manager since Steve Mermell retired in December.

This city manager oversees a public sector agency, public/private partnerships, and a full-service City with robust services with an approximate budget of $900 million and a dedicated and talented staff of approximately 2,000 employees and an engaged community of approximately 140,000.

Márquez will earn $330,000 annually.