Mayor Puts Focus on Human Services in State of City Talk

Pasadena Mayor Jess Hughston, in his first “state of the city” speech, asked for volunteers to help the city provide human services.

“The state of our city truly begins at home,” Hughston said. “Ask yourself, is there a need? How can it be resolved? And then act on it.”

Hughston’s speech Tuesday night at City Hall concentrated on the city’s role in making Pasadena a “family community.” He talked of progress in programs dealing with child care, after-school activities, anti-drug and anti-alcohol counseling and senior services.

But because the city lacks the money to do all that it wants to, “city government must be the catalyst, the coordinator, the facilitator,” he said.

Hughston pledged the city’s commitment to human services but added that its efforts are dwarfed by those of more than 350 community organizations and churches. “We need to work as partners with these community organizations and churches to reach more people, to close the gaps and to get more effective results,” Hughston said.

He also pledged to complete the Northwest Plan, a $35-million improvement plan for the city’s main minority neighborhood.

The plan’s success should benefit the entire city, he said. “Residents must realize that everyone in this city is connected, and what happens in one part of town will affect all the rest of us in some way in the other parts of town,” he said.

Hughston, 67, a retired high school teacher, is serving his third four-year term representing District 5 in East Pasadena. When he took over the two-year rotation as mayor last summer, he indicated his commitment to human services.

Some city officials have criticized his slow progress. On Tuesday, Hughston pledged to give a progress report in six months.