State of the City Speech Scheduled for Feb. 24

Mayor Victor Gordo is set to give the annual State of the City Speech at 7 p.m. on Feb 24 at the Westerbrook Hall for the Performing Arts at Pasadena City College.

According to the charter, “No later than February of each year, the Mayor shall present a thematic budget message for the upcoming fiscal year to the City Council.”

The purpose of the speech is to encourage public suggestions and comments on the City budget prior to its preparation and ultimate approval by the City Council.

Last year’s speech was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The format of this year’s event is yet to be decided and will be announced at a later date.

Gordo is scheduled to be the guest speaker at the Pasadena Rotary Club’s weekly meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 2, which starts at noon.

The meeting will be broadcast on Zoom and is open to the public.

Mayor Gordo will deliver an overview of city’s current state of affairs.

Victor Gordo was elected mayor of Pasadena in November 2020 after serving on the City Council since 2001. He was born in Zacatecas, Mexico and grew up in Pasadena as the oldest of six children, where his mother worked as a seamstress and his father as a restaurant dishwasher and cook.

Gordo got his first job at age 9 delivering newspapers, which he continued to do while attending Pasadena High School. In high school, he excelled in football, baseball and soccer. He was the first in his family to go to college – first, at Pasadena City College, and then Azusa Pacific University. He worked his way through college as a waiter and restaurant manager.

After college, Gordo became Program Director for the Pasadena Day One Community Partnership, and later became field representative for District 5 Councilmember Bill Crowfoot. While working as a field representative, Gordo spent four to five nights a week attending law school at the University of La Verne. He was already serving in the Pasadena City Council when he passed the California Bar exam in July 2001.

During his time on the City Council, Gordo advocated for economic growth and stability in local business districts, opposed overdevelopment, championed a living wage, fought for improving educational outcomes for children, supported public schools and pushed for increasing government transparency and accountability.

In 2007, he was selected as the City Council’s representative on the Rose Bowl Operating Company (RBOC). In 2009, the Board of Directors elected him President to oversee the renovation of the Rose Bowl Stadium. Gordo served as RBOC president for 10 years, the longest serving president in the company’s history.

Wednesday’s meeting will be on Zoom only.

To take part in the meeting, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85447667313?pwd=YmFGZnpIOGNMdWYyc2lEc29vTm9kUT09. The meeting ID is 854 4766 7313 and the pass code is 036132.

For more information, call (626) 683-8243, email office@pasadenarotary.com, or visit www.pasadenarotary.com.