Quid Pro Quo Politics in Pasadena?

Holiday Tree at Pasadena City Hall, December 2023 (Photo – John Kaye)

The line of cars and people on foot was lengthy, as it always is on Friday mornings. By feeding so many each week, the Pasadena Job Center illustrates the messages on the signs on the property:  Solo El Pueblo, Salva Al Pueblo, or Only the People Can Save the People.

By Scott Phelps

That sentiment seems to be true in light of the Pasadena City Council’s recent vote to raise their salaries by 55%, a tone-deaf move in this time of want. The governing body of this rich city apparently believes the priority is their compensation; by all indications they are not in need of such a raise for their part-time work. In addition, they have field representatives, reportedly paid roughly $80,000 per year, to do the bulk of the work in each council district.

Last week, the other shoe dropped: the council approved a $12,700 salary increase for the departing city manager, Miguel Márquez, who was already making about $425,000, plus perks. In addition, they awarded him a lump sum payment of $43,634, along with 40 hours of paid time off. During public comments justifying these increases, Mayor Victor Gordo stated that it was in recognition of all the challenges the city faced this year.

But this raises a troubling question: were the recent raises for the councilmembers and the mayor part of a quid pro quo? The timing seems questionable, especially for a city manager who is leaving office. The flimsy justification for such substantial payouts only raises more concerns. How can one person justify receiving over $65,000 in additional compensation simply because “this year was challenging”? Many people faced difficulties this year. Moreover, his salary before these increases was more than sufficient to expect him to handle such challenges. Additionally, he was granted generous extended leave to address a personal family matter. It’s hard to justify awarding him such a large bonus when he wasn’t even on the job for a significant portion of the year.

Contrast this with the dire state of the Pasadena Unified School District (PUSD). Massive layoffs are in the works, with no apparent help to mitigate. The trustees of PUSD have been paid just $400 per month for decades, with no field representatives, despite the common view that parents and advocates are much harder on the school board than on the city council because the district educates children.

These wildly contrasting two Pasadenas reflect the current state of the country as a whole: elite elected representatives approving provisions granting themselves or their allies huge sums from the public treasury and continuing to enjoy guaranteed health care while most people are struggling and many are facing huge increases in health care costs.

Let’s hope that el pueblo rises up to change this status quo.

This article originally appeared in our November print edition under the headline “Let Them Eat Cake!” We’ve since updated it to reflect the recent raise awarded to the outgoing City Manager.