Mayor Gives State of the City Report

Mayor Bill Bogaard gave is annual State of the City Report Thursday night to a well received crowd of city officials, community leaders, dignitaries and residents coving issues from the Rose Bowl renovation to the fierce December wind storm to The Gold Line Foothill Extension.
Bogaard gave the speech “Spotlight on Performance” at the newly renovated A Noise Within in East Pasadena. The 40 minute report started with the city’s financial situation saying Pasadena is preparing for its fourth year with a serious budget shortfall.
“Current projections for the City’s operations through Fiscal Year 2013 indicate a $6 million shortfall in the General Fund,” he said explaining that in part high unemployment, which in September in Pasadena was 9.4 percent and in California was 11.4 percent were large economic factors. He also said the city lost 11auto dealerships, resulted in a 30 present decrease in annual sales tax revenues money the city relies on for vital city services.
Bogaard also said there were a number of unforeseen other setbacks including that the city could incur $17 million in cleanup fees from the Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 windstorm.
“City Hall anticipated that, with proper documentation, the damages suffered in the windstorm would be recovered from federal and state emergency relief programs,” He said. “To date, however, these losses do not appear to qualify for such relief.”
He also said the elimination of California redevelopment agencies was also a major financial setback resulting in lost of more than $30 million per year.
“Pasadena’s success in becoming a regional economic center could not have been achieved without the use of redevelopment, and adapting to the new situation where state-supported incentives for investment are no longer available poses a major challenge,” he said.
Bogaard said the second phase of the Rose Bowl renovation started right after this year’s Rose Bowl game on January second. He also addressed the possible temporary use of the Rose Bowl for professional NFL football team saying, ” There are no negotiations at this time, … but if a strong likelihood emerges for such temporary use I believe it would not be responsible for the Council to reject such a possibility out of hand.”
Bogaard said of The Gold Line Foothill Extension, “We made significant strides this past year to build the next 11.5 miles of the line, which will extend service east from Sierra Madre Villa through Arcadia, Monrovia, Duarte, Irwindale and Azusa. The $735 million project is underway, and is on time and on budget.”