Councilmember Cole to Step Down as L.A. Chief Deputy Controller

Pasadena City Councilmember Rick Cole announced he will step down from his role as Chief Deputy Controller for the City of Los Angeles, effective July 11, concluding a tenure that began in December 2022 and championed transparency and early budget warnings under Controller Kenneth Mejia.

Cole praised Mejia’s leadership: “He’s blazed a new path for transparency and accountability for LA City government and began warning about budget ‘trouble ahead’ in early 2023, two years before the Mayor acknowledged a billion?dollar budget shortfall.”

Elected to the Pasadena City Council in 2024, Cole said balancing “a more?than?full?time role in LA and a more than part time role in Pasadena” became untenable. He acknowledged Mejia’s flexibility but said he couldn’t serve both permanently.

This marks Cole’s third stint in Los Angeles city government. He previously served as senior deputy to Councilmember Richard Alatorre and as Deputy Mayor for Budget and Innovation under Mayor Eric Garcetti, before joining Mejia’s administration on Day One.

In addition to his municipal roles, Cole teaches at Occidental College and Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy. He plans to continue teaching while focusing on Pasadena.

Though departing, Cole expressed continued concern for Los Angeles, calling it “the heart — and economic engine — of the Southern California region.”

The L.A. City Council is expected to adopt a resolution honoring Cole’s service at its June 25 meeting. Reflecting on the future, Cole quipped, “Like the Terminator or General MacArthur, I may be back.”