Protest and Promise Frame Pasadena Mayor’s State of the City

Mayor Victor Gordo and Vice Mayor Jess Rivas listening to community members at the “No Ice” Rally at Robinson Park (Photo – Brian Biery)

“You’re either with us or not,” one speaker said. He was one of many who addressed the crowd gathered outside the Jackie Robinson Center for the 2026 State of the City speech by Mayor Victor Gordo.

By Garrett Rowlan

The crowd of 150 or so, huddled in a dim space between Fair Oaks and the bright basketball courts to protest the ongoing ICE raids, waved flags and encouraged a continual honking of concurring horns from passing cars.

Once the doors opened at 6:30, the scene inside the center was almost mellow against a background of smooth jazz. Hugs, handshakes and smiles were exchanged among the gathered guests. Women wore scares and bracelets, men wore suits.

As the seven o’clock start time for the ceremony neared, protestors with signs entered the makeshift auditorium. Citizens carried anti-ICE signs were respectful of the proceedings, though one young man yelled “Liar” when Mayor Gordo said the Pasadena Police didn’t cooperate with or assist ICE agents.

Mayor Gordo and Vice Mayor Jess Rivas were as vitriolic as the protestors in their condemnation of the raids.  They focused generally on Pasadena—though Ms. Rivas did mention the troubles in Minnesota—while the speakers outside took shots at Isreal, Dubai, and Barack Obama, among others.

The tenor of the mayor’s speech was cautious optimism. taking into account the trying last year in Pasadena when fire and ICE both besieged the city. Emphasizing the theme Rising Together, Gordo framed Pasadena not as a city overwhelmed by fear, but as one defined by resolve. “Together, we did not allow Pasadena, our home, to be a city under siege,” he said, adding that the community had proven itself “stronger than fear, stronger than intimidation, and stronger than any attempt to divide us.” Addressing those most affected by the raids, the mayor underscored a message of belonging: “To everyone in our city, especially those who still feel afraid or targeted, know that you belong here.” Despite the divisions on display outside, Gordo insisted that Pasadena, as a unified community, would continue “Rising Together…facing what lies ahead.”

Below is Mayor Victor Gorod’s full speech:

Welcome, and thank you for being here tonight.  I want to acknowledge Vice Mayor Jess Rivas, my City Council colleagues, and our City employees who work hard each day on behalf of Pasadena.  Thank you to my wife Kelly, and our children Michael and Emma for their love and unwavering support of my service as your Mayor.

We come together tonight a year after the Eaton Fire, where so many of our families, friends, coworkers, neighbors, and loved ones lost everything, and our fellow Southern Californians suffered similar fates with other wildfires.  We also come together tonight eight months after federal immigration raids began in our community.  For those affected by these events, my heart continues to go out to you.

Last year at this time I spoke about the need for all of us to draw upon our inner reserves of strength, determination, and resolve, and the importance of resiliency. After what we’ve been through over the last year, that statement still rings true as we find ourselves Rising Together from the recent adversities, and as a unified community, facing what lies ahead.

Pasadenans have long had a shared commitment of working together for the betterment of our community, and I have seen this commitment over the last year in countless ways as we have collectively worked through the process of recovery.

Before we begin this evening, I want to say thank you to our City staff, my City Council colleagues, our City Manager Miguel Marquez, our County and State partners, our partners in education, business, our non-profits, the faith-based community, and most importantly, our residents for coming together as One Pasadena.

I am continually grateful for everyone that has come together during the last year to help our community recover and rebuild.

Addressing Needs in the Community

As you saw in the video a moment ago, by Rising Together over the last year we have made amazingly swift, great strides in our Eaton Fire recovery efforts, and we are committed to continuing to work diligently on behalf of the community to make Pasadena whole again.

Not only did we have the Eaton Fire to contend with last year, but five months after the Eaton Fire broke out, we were faced with another challenge: we saw the immigration raids that began in Paramount and quickly spread throughout our region.  The reckless actions by the Federal administration in Los Angeles, the San Gabriel Valley, and in our beloved City had a powerful and traumatic impact on us—especially on our immigrant community.

Using tactics meant to provoke fear and intimidation, these raids were not about public safety and unfolded against an alarming backdrop: peaceful protests in defense of immigrant rights, our Constitution and American values; the unlawful federalization of National Guard troops over the objections of Governor Newsom, and the deployment of active duty Marines to Southern California. These actions did not make us any more safe, but rather served to heighten tensions, re-traumatize vulnerable communities, and threaten us all by eroding the rule of law.

All the while our community was continuing to recover from trauma, grief, and disruption caused by the Eaton Fire. These overlapping crises compounded stress and fear, especially for our immigrant neighbors, both documented and undocumented.

Together, we did not allow Pasadena—our home—to be a city under siege. Be assured that our Police Department does not assist with or participate in the enforcement of federal civil immigration laws.  With your help, we peacefully prove that our community is stronger than fear, stronger than intimidation, and stronger than any attempt to divide us. I would like to thank our community for its unwavering resolve, for not being baited by fear-based tactics, and for responding with unity, dignity, and respect for our community.

But make no mistake. ICE’s attempt to bait and divide us continues.  Just this January 7—the day that our community was commemorating the horrific Eaton Fire and the lives and homes lost—ICE shamelessly reared its head in Pasadena again.  This shameful timing and attempt to inflict pain as we were comforting ourselves and each other in an attempt to heal is nothing short of outrageous and despicable.

I remember what that fear felt like.  As a child we lived in a converted garage. I knew that if my parents didn’t come home, I was to get the Folgers coffee can that was under my parents’ bed – in that can was cash, a list of names and phone numbers, copies of birth certificates and identification cards – I was to take that can and go knock on the neighbor’s house and get help.

To everyone in our city—especially those who still feel afraid or targeted—know that you belong here, and that we remain steadfast in our commitment to the dignity, well-being, and safety of all our residents.  Let us continue to Rise Together and stand with all of our neighbors, be there for each other, and recommit ourselves to showing up each day with strength, compassion, and care for all. We are One Pasadena, and I expect no less.

As we continue to address the ongoing needs of residents impacted by the Fire, we have also been investing in infrastructure and striving for ongoing improvement in City services. I continue to be optimistic as we enter 2026, and know that even after a global pandemic, wildfires—the likes of that were unseen in LA County history—and federal immigration raids on our community, we will Rise Together literally through Fire and ICE.

We must continue to work together as we always do—residents, businesses, and civic leaders—in order to reach our collective goal of ensuring that Pasadena remains the crown jewel of the San Gabriel Valley for future generations.

We are making good progress towards these goals at City Hall. After three and a half years of steady leadership, our City Manager Miguel Márquez will be retiring this spring—thank you for your service, Miguel—and we have begun the nationwide search for his replacement.  Our team of employees at City Hall are steadfast in their commitment to working hard each day for the benefit of all that live, work, and play in Pasadena.

Thank you to City staff, residents, and community partners for all you continue to do each day to help Pasadena on its path to a full recovery.

Fiscal Matters

Let’s take a look at our finances.  Slower economic growth continues to be the theme into 2026 and has been so for the last three years. Pasadena has weathered the economic cycle better than most, and our efforts in economic development to attract and retain businesses has been fruitful. We have relatively stable retail, restaurant, and entertainment economies, and our place in the health, science, and technology fields continue to grow.

The City’s General Fund revenue has improved from $342 million budgeted in Fiscal Year 2025 to $365 million this year, which reflects a 6.8% increase. That increase was supported by the decision to take the full General Fund transfer from the light and power fund as required by the City Charter, which provided an additional $11 million to fund core services and projects. Overall, the City’s General Fund is largely driven by strong property values and sales tax, which account for more than half of our General Fund revenue.  The City has a diverse property tax base with a total assessed valuation of more than $42.7 billion.

Transient Occupancy Tax—or TOT—charged to hotel and short-term rental customers not only realized some growth in 2025 due to the increased stays related to the Eaton Fire, but from the opening of the new AC Hotel in the Playhouse District in April of last year.

Tourism and convention travel has returned to normal levels this past fall, but more routine business travel during the week still has not returned post COVID. Additionally, the City signed an agreement with VRBO last year to ensure that short-term rental guests are paying their fair share towards the tax as well. The Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) is at $19.3 million.

While sales tax revenue is the second largest revenue source behind property tax in the General Fund, it has realized mix results like the overall economy depending on business-type. New motor vehicle sales continue to show declines, along with grocery stores, service stations, and specialty stores. Helping to offset those business categories has been growth in sales related to building materials, family apparel, electronics, and home furnishings.

I cannot help but notice the correlation between the industries that have shown growth and their connection to where families have spent significant resources in recovering from the Eaton Fire. These trends are forecasted to continue into the next year. The current Sales tax forecast for the fiscal year is $77.6 million.

The Utility User tax is at $35.2M

Other taxes (Business License, Construction, Street Light and Traffic Signal) are $21.9M

Reserves   

After COVID, many argued for spending Federal COVID reimbursement dollars on one-time expenditures. Not knowing what the future might hold, Pasadena resisted the urge to spend precious resources so freely on one time expenditures.  Instead, we deliberately rebuilt the City’s reserves to prepare for a post-COVID emergency—little did we know how quickly such an emergency might come and the form it would take.  In Pasadena, we did the right thing and when we took a cautious financial approach, I am proud to report that in the face of this latest tragedy Pasadena’s reserves are at an all-time high exceeding even pre-COVID levels.

The City continues to ensure prudent fiscal management with strong reserves. For fiscal year 2025, the City maintained a:

15% Emergency Reserve:     $51.3 million ($51,292,500)

5% Operating Reserve:         $17.1 million ($17,097,500)

Section 115 Trust-Pension:   $14.3 million ($14,273,745)

Section 115 Trust-OPEB:     $  2.7 million ($2,704,003)

TOTAL:                                $85.4 million ($85,367,748)

In December 2025, the City Council approved a pension funding plan that will pay down the City’s pension liability sooner than required by CalPERS and will use the Section 115 Pension Trust strategically over the next three years to achieve that, saving annual General Fund operating dollars for the future while reducing the pension liability.

The Rose Bowl and Convention Center Are Community Treasures and Lifelines For The Region

The Rose Bowl, Brookside Golf Course, and the Convention Center all played critical roles in the City’s response efforts to the Fire, and both operating companies realized near-term losses from postponed or cancelled events. Despite the loss of some revenue that may negatively impact the current fiscal year, both operating companies continue to have a positive long-term economic outlook, with a robust calendar of events planned and a continued high demand for golf and golf amenities.  Equally important, the Rose Bowl and the Convention Center help keep our City vibrant and exciting by attracting events and visitors to Pasadena.

Federal and State Economic Outlook 

The federal outlook regarding their budget and funding levels continues to center around funding reductions or the ongoing threat of complete elimination of programs.

The City’s Housing, Public Health, and Workforce Development programs rely heavily on federal funding for much of their operational programs, while transit and public works often seek federal funding for transit and infrastructure capital projects. The federal government has been operating on a series of Continuing Resolutions for the last few years, which has prevented deeper cuts thus far; but is also a cut as there have been no increases in funding to keep up with inflation and wage growth. Courts around the nation have ruled against the federal government many times over the last year, preventing funding cuts or unreasonable contract terms, which has allowed the City to maintain many critical services.

Pasadena has historically utilized modest yet realistic financial projections to fund the critical services we provide to the community, and we will continue to do so to ensure our financial outlook remains stable.

The Governor’s budget as proposed on January 8^th was presented as balanced and cited revenues more than original forecasts for the current year. It is important to note I am concerned that the State has been using reserve funds to balance their budget, and the forecast into the 2025-26 continues to propose the use of reserves.  Even more concerning is the Governor’s budget is forecasting a $3 billion deficit while the Legislative Analyst’s Office is forecasting an $18 billion deficit vs. the state’s budget.  The difference in this forecast is a canyon that cannot be bridged, with even 100% of the remaining reserve funds in the state’s budget stabilization account.

These challenges at the state and federal levels are expected to reduce funding used to support critical services and projects in our City.

Despite these federal and state fiscal challenges, Pasadena is committed to maintaining its high level of service and fiscal well-being to ensure a healthy future.  Each year the City endeavors to build a balanced budget that supports the community’s needs with the vast array of local, state, and federal funds available. While we often focus on the $365 million of the City’s General Fund, our goal is to utilize most appropriately the roughly $1.16 billion the City has access to for programs and services.

In anticipation of strong economic headwinds, I have appointed the Mayor’s Budget Advisory Committee and asked former Mayor Terry Tornek to Chair the Committee.  Mayor Tornek is joined by City staff, community members including former City Manager Cynthia Kurtz, and representatives from all of our employee labor groups.

This committee is charged with working together to find efficiencies and savings, capturing revenue, and identifying potentially new revenue streams. If those strong economic headwinds come, as predicted by economists, Pasadena will be as prepared as we can be to face those headwinds because we are doing the preparing now—community, staff, and labor groups working as a team to find solutions in advance of those headwinds—and I want to thank Mayor Tornek and all members of the committee for taking on the challenge at my request.

Where We Are Headed 

Looking forward to the next fiscal year, the City Council met in December for a budget workshop to review and come to a consensus on our top priorities for staff in the upcoming budget cycle. The top five priorities are:

1. Enhanced Fire Prevention and Fire Department Modernization.
2. Roadway improvements to rehabilitate and maintain streets to increase the City’s pavement management score.
3. A year-round homeless shelter and improve transitional housing opportunities. As an aside, I believe that the Rose Palace on South Raymond can serve as a year-round Bad Weather Shelter and overnight parking opportunity, and will be suggesting that to our full City Council.
4. Advancing the City’s goal of 100% carbon-free energy by 2030.
5. Implementing the City’s Economic Development Strategic Plan with an emphasis on streetscapes and neighborhood placemaking.

The Reconnecting Communities 710 Advisory Group has worked hard over the last two years, and I look forward to the presentation of the vision plan and its accompanying historical reports in March to more the development of the SR-710 to the next phase.

By investing in these projects, we are honoring Pasadena’s heritage while laying the groundwork for rebuilding a vibrant, connected future for our residents.

As we lay that groundwork, together we will rebuild a stronger, more resilient Pasadena.  As a City, we are doing all that we can in order to protect the environment for future generations.

I remain committed to the youngest members of our community—those aged 0-5—and with our partners at PUSD, we are working hard to make certain that our youngest residents have the early learning opportunities and resources needed for a strong and healthy start in life, so that they too can become thoughtful, caring, and contributing members of our community as they grow.

With the expansion of the recovery effort, we are continuing to support our local small businesses, and working on a variety of City projects like the SR-710 Reconnecting Pasadena Master Plan and the renovation of the Central Library. With continued investment in these important projects, we are paving the way for vibrant, connected future for everyone in Pasadena.

Affordable Housing

With 131 homes significantly damaged or destroyed by the Eaton Fire and hundreds of residents displaced, the housing crisis further deepened at the start of last year.  So many of you have been working hard to get your homes rebuilt, and the City has been working hard to ensure that you are not alone in the process.

Our Planning & Community Development Department has played an exceptional part in response to the Fire this last year.  Almost immediately after the Fire, the Department began establishment and oversight of the Private Property Debris Removal Program in close coordination with the Army Corp of Engineers. They also assigned a dedicated staff member to each affected property—someone whose role was to support our residents, connect them with critical resources, and guide them step by step through the permitting and rebuilding process. The Department established expedited rebuild application reviews, provides next-business-day inspections, and implemented the City Council’s policy to waive nearly all plan check and permitting fees— all while maintaining rigorous safety standards. These actions were taken to help our neighbors rebuild their lives and return home as quickly as possible.

I am happy to report that the City has received 80 building permit applications for fire-damaged properties, including 50 applications to rebuild single-family homes. To date, 20 rebuild permits have been issued, with 10 more fully approved and ready for issuance. Most importantly, we are already seeing families come home—one family completed their new home in time to celebrate Thanksgiving, with others nearing completion.

Even with this great news about the progress of rebuilding the homes that were lost to the Eaton Fire, we all continue to be concerned with the rising cost of housing and the availability of affordable housing. Over the past four years, Pasadena constructed 322 affordable housing units, representing 15% of all new housing built, and these include options for low-income families, workforce housing, and permanent supportive housing.

Also, 868 market rate units were converted to affordable and workforce housing. Today, over 10% of Pasadena households benefit from affordable housing or rental assistance programs.

Over the last year, our Housing Department leveraged over $6.25M in state and regional housing trust funding to expand affordable housing opportunities including ADUs, placing 26 local MASH trainees in career-track jobs, and reopening of the Bad Weather Shelter after needed renovations; and they will continue to vigilantly monitor and respond to federal housing polices in order to ensure that Pasadena remains an inclusive and diverse community.

Career Training and Education

The need for skilled workers is great as we rebuild our community, and this is the reason I brought together the Career Training and Education Working Group a few years ago.  The group includes PCC, PUSD and the Los Angeles and Orange Counties Building Trades Council, private sector employers, and all of our respective staff with the goal being the development of a comprehensive career technical education training initiative to strategize how we can help interested Pasadena residents have opportunities and successful careers in various trades and professions so that our community generates the workforce needed to rebuild and maintain existing and future neighborhoods.

Working with President Jose Gomez, Superintendent Blanco and their leadership teams, the momentum continues on moving the career technical education training initiative forward, and we will maintain—and hopefully enhance—our efforts on this front.

Already just this past January 22 as a result of this effort, Pasadena City College led by Dr. Jose Gomez, President of PCC, launched the Construction Trades Lab.  This is the first step in realizing our collective goal towards a comprehensive technical career training center.  Our community needs it, our people deserve it, and together we will get it done.

What’s Happening in Pasadena?

Concurrent with our rebuilding efforts, Pasadena continues to thrive as a hub of economic activity and innovation. From AI, robotics, life science and quantum technologies to healthcare, hospitality and tourism, we are home to businesses that will build our community’s future.

Over the past year, we cut the ribbon at Keck Medicine of USC’s, new 100,000-square-foot facility in the HeArt District—a state-of-the art addition to our healthcare landscape. Caltech’s proposed 100,000-square-foot Innovation and Research Building began its entitlement process this year, signaling sustained growth in advanced research and commercialization and strengthening Pasadena’s role as a magnet for deep-tech firms and high-wage research and development jobs. Prenuvo opened on South Lake Avenue, offering advanced diagnostic imaging and continuing Pasadena’s proud legacy of leadership in health and wellness.

Pasadena companies are developing technologies that solve real-world challenges and create positive change. Founded here 60 years ago, Tetra Tech has grown from a small startup into a global technical leader with more than 25,000 employees. From its Pasadena headquarters, the company supports resilience and environmental recovery efforts, including cleanup following the Eaton Fire, demonstrating how Pasadena companies make a global impact while remaining rooted locally.

We continue to attract new and exciting culinary offerings in the City. We’ve welcomed Javier’s and a growing number of independent coffee and bakery spots. This summer, we debuted 14 new and upgraded dining patios and celebrated with a street festival that drew nearly 3,000 guests to sample Pasadena’s food offerings. Our restaurant community demonstrated extraordinary generosity in response to the Fire, donating meals to those in need.

There is a lot happening in Pasadena and it is a source of pride that these businesses not only create jobs but also enhance the vibrancy of our community.

Closing

In my sixth year as your Mayor, and nearly three decades of serving our City, I am eager and remain committed to the community’s full recovery from the devastating effects of the Eaton Fire, and the fallout from the federal immigration raids.

On January 1^st of 2025, the theme of the Rose Parade was Best Day Ever.  Little did we know just six days later—on January 7, 2025, we would be facing the worst day ever. As only our community can, Pasadena and Altadena once again showed why we are The Dena, and we came together to support one another. This is a bond that will never be broken.

Reflecting on all of the challenges we’ve endured as a community and the steady progress made over this past year, one thing is clear:  there will no doubt be more challenges before us, but so long as we continue working together for the betterment of our Pasadena, nothing can stop us.

Each day your determination, resilience, and dedication to our City helps us Rise Together on the path to recovery, rebuilding a better future, and uplifting everyone.  We are working hard each day to rebuild Pasadena as a shining example of resilience and recovery, and while there may be speedbumps along this path, there are no stop signs.

Our future as the center of the universe remains bright, strong, and will not be deterred. We are One Pasadena, and nobody Rises Together or does Community—yes I just made up a new verb—quite like us.

In 2021, I said it was “A Time Like No Other”;
in 2022 I said we would be “Stronger Together”;
in 2023 I said, “Together We Thrive, Pasadena!”;
in 2024 we were “Leaping into the Future”;
last year we were “Resilient Pasadena: Rebuilding Our Community’s Future”.
And this past year has certainly been a master class in resilience, let me tell you.

Now, we are Rising Together, and each one of us plays an important and crucial part.  I want to thank everyone that has reached out to me over the last year to let me know about the progress of rebuilding.  For this I am grateful, as it has served to double my resolve to do everything possible to heal and strengthen our community’s lasting bond. Let’s look to the future together and keep our hearts filled with Pasadena’s unique spirit of kindness, generosity, and compassion.  We have a lot to look forward to. Together.

Thank you to all of my City Council colleagues and City staff —with a special shout out to my fantastic team in the Mayor’s Office—Vannia, Araceli, and Jana —and all residents who are working together for the betterment of Pasadena.

Thank you for your trust, your partnership, and your unwavering commitment to Pasadena. I look forward to all that we will achieve together in the year ahead. It is an honor and a privilege to serve as your Mayor, and I thank you for that honor and privilege.

Thank you and Good Night.”

Jose Madera speaks to the crowd (Photo – Brian Biery)

Mayor Gordo addressing the public outside (Photo –

Mayor Gordo prior to his State of the City speech (Photo – Garrett Rowlan)

Crowd at the State of the City, 2026 at the Robinson Recreation Center (Photo – Garrett Rowlan)

Mayor Gordo speaking at the State of the City, 2026 (Photo – Garrett Rowlan)