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0 Agenda Report
DATE: October 6, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council
THROUGH: Legislative Policy Committee (September 28, 2026 and October 5, 2026) FROM: City ClerkSUBJECT: CONSIDERATION OF A POLICY REGARDING THE VICE MAYOR
APPOINTMENT PROCESS
RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that the City Council:
(1) Find that the proposed action is not a "project" subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 21065and within the meaning of Section 15378(b); and (2) Provide direction to City staff regarding the Vice Mayor appointment process.
BACKGROUND:The position of Vice Mayor on the Pasadena City Council is established by City Charter Section 408 (Attachment A), which states: "....annually in December...the City Councilshall elect from among the Councilmembers a Vice Mayor who shall exercise the powersand perform the duties of the Mayor during the latter's absence or disability." It should be noted that the Vice Mayor's role was recently modified following a Charter Amendment occurring in November 2024, which created an Acting Mayor position. City Charter Section 407 (Attachment A) states: "In the event of a vacancy in the Office ofMayor, the City Council shall elect from among the remaining Councilmembers, an ActingMayor who shall exercise the powers and perform the duties of the Mayor." Prior to thisCharter change, it was the Vice Mayor's responsibility to assume the duties of the Mayorif the seat became vacant.
Historically, the practice of the City Council when selecting the Vice Mayor has been to appoint the longest serving Councilmember who has not yet served as Vice Mayor. The Vice Mayor has generally served for two one-year terms, with each appointment occurring at the annual Organizational meeting. The following chart provides the history of Vice Mayor appointments since 1999, as well as information regarding the start of service year on the City Council and the years of service prior to that Councilmember's appointmentas Vice Mayor:
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MEETING OF.
10/06/2026
AGENDA ITEM NO.
6 Policy on Vice Mayor Appointment Process
October 6, 2026
NAME DISTRICT START OF SERVICE YEAR YEARS OF SERVICE VICE MAYOR TERM Joyce Streator D1 1995 4 1999-2001
Paul Little D2 1995 6 2001 - 2003Sidney Tyler D7 1997 6 2003 - 2005Steve Madison D6 1999 6 2005 - 2007Steve Haderlein D4 1999 8 2007 - 2009 Victor Gordo D5 2001 8 2009-2011
Margaret McAustin D2 2007 4 2011 -2013Jacque Robinson D1 2007 6 2013-2015Gene Masuda D4 2011 4 2015-2017John Kennedy D3 2013 4 2017-2019Tyron Hampton* D1 2015 4 2019-2020Andy Wilson D7 2015(Appt) 5 2020 - 2022 Felicia Williams D2 2020 2 2022 - 2023
Steve Madison D6 1999 24 2023 - 2024Jess Rivas D5 2021 (Appt) 3 2024 - 2026 * Councilmember Hampton served as Vice Mayor from May 6, 2019 to December 7, 2020 - transition from odd to even year elections Vice Mayor Appointment PQlicy
In accordance with the City Charter, the City Council's next Organizational Meeting is set to occur on Monday, December 7, 2026, and will include the appointment of Vice Mayor.
The longest serving Councilmember who has not yet served as Vice Mayor is JustinJones. Councilmember Jones started his City Council service on September 29, 2022 (by appointment), was elected in 2024, and re-elected on June 2, 2026. His total years of service to date on the City Council is over 4 years.
In terms of formalizing the Vice Mayor Appointment process, the policy can be adopted by resolution (as a stand-alone policy or incorporated in the City Council Meeting Policy resolution), or it can be codified in the Pasadena Municipal Code (PMC) under Title 2 of the City Council. The latter would require the City Council to direct the City Attorney's Office to prepare an ordinance to amend the PMC. If no further action is taken, the CityCouncil may still continue with the current practice without a formally adopted policy.
Proposed PolicyConsistent with the longstanding practice of the City Council, the longest-servingCouncilmember who has not yet served as Vice Mayor will be considered the next in line to serve as Vice Mayor. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any action of the City Council as stated in City Charter Section 506 requires five affirmative votes to be valid. If anyCouncilmember nominated for Vice Mayor does not receive five affirmative votes, the CityCouncil may nominate and elect another Councilmember to serve as Vice Mayor.
Nothing in this policy shall prevent the City Council from electing the same person to serve as Vice Mayor for a second one-year term.
Policy on Vice Mayor Appointment Process
October 6, 2026
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no anticipated fiscal impact associated with the appointment process for Vice Mayor of the Pasadena City Council.
Respectfully submitted,
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Attachment A - City Charter Sections 407, 408, and 506