Márquez Crosses Three-Year Mark at City Hall

Three years into his time in Pasadena, Miguel Márquez said that there is still work to be done.

Márquez spoke to Pasadena Now earlier this month about his time at City Hall. His first day on the job was August 29, 2022.

“It has been an honor to serve the nearly 150,000 residents of the City of Pasadena, and the City’s countless visitors, over the past two years,” Márquez said. “Municipal leadership can be challenging, but with our dedicated staff of nearly 2,400 public servants, an experienced and knowledgeable City Council, and residents who have stepped up time and again to advance issue after issue, there is nothing we cannot achieve in Pasadena.”

Pasadena has a Council-Manager government. The City Council sets policy, which calls for the elected City Council to serve as the city’s primary legislative body and appoint a City Manager to oversee day-to-day municipal operations, draft a budget, and implement and enforce the Council’s policy and legislative initiatives.

The City Manager answers to the City Council and oversees 14 of the city’s 16 departments. The City Clerk and City Attorney also answer to the City Council.

Márquez was the first Latino justice to be confirmed to the Sixth District Court of Appeals when he was confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments in 2012. That appointment came less than a month after Governor Jerry Brown appointed him.

He was further prepared for his current appointment when he oversaw the daily operations in Santa Clara, which serves a diverse urban and rural population. Márquez 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), and the Office of Supportive Housing (working to create sustainable and affordable housing).

Márquez had big shoes to fill. The position previously had been held by Cynthia Kurtz, Steve Mermell, and Michael Beck. 

Since he has come to town, the City has tackled some tough issues including City Charter reform, a retrofit for the library, and a continuing housing crisis.

While the City Council sets policy on those issues, it’s Márquez and City staff that carry out that policy.

The City has twice successfully submitted billion-dollar budgets to the City Council and stabilized the City’s finances, operations, and personnel after a very challenging period due to the global pandemic. This included the appointment of a majority of the City’s Executive Leadership Team and the establishment of multi-year agreements with all eleven of the City’s labor union partners.

The number of people who were unhoused in Pasadena has also reduced. In 2022, Pasadena had a total of 1,208 people who experienced homelessness at some point during that year. Last year, in 2023, that number decreased by 9%, to 1,097.

“We certainly have a lot more work to do, but every step forward matters,” Márquez said.

But that’s not all.

After the City’s rent control measure passed, Márquez established a Rent Stabilization Department to implement Measure H, which was passed by voters in November 2022. The City’s Rental Registry is expected to launch this September.

In May 2021, the City closed the Central Library for a seismic retrofit. A $195 million bond measure will be on the November 2024 ballot to ensure our storied library will stand tall for another one hundred years. Great cities have great libraries. Pasadena is a Great City that needs to retrofit, repair, and upgrade its historic Central Library to serve generations to come. Our Central Library is more than just a building; it provides support and resources — without cost — to all who cross its threshold.