Riverside City Manager Declines Pasadena Job
- Riverside City Manager Mike Futrell told Pasadena officials on April 25 that he would stay in Riverside, reversing his April 15 acceptance of Pasadena’s city manager job before a planned May 13 start. - Futrell said Riverside’s “significant momentum” on economic development, infrastructure, public safety and housing — plus the June 2 Measure Z renewal campaign — drove his decision to withdraw. - The reversal leaves Pasadena with Interim City Manager Matthew Hawkesworth after the council had picked Futrell to run a 2,300-employee city government with a $1.5 billion budget. (cityofpasadena.net)
Mike Futrell told Pasadena officials on April 25 that he will stay on as Riverside city manager, backing out of Pasadena’s top administrative job before his planned May 13 start. (pasadenastarnews.com) (raincrossgazette.com) Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo and the City Council said Futrell had decided to remain in Riverside and withdraw from further discussions with Pasadena. Interim City Manager Matthew Hawkesworth will continue in the role. (mynewsla.com) (raincrossgazette.com) The move reversed Pasadena’s April 15 announcement that Futrell had been selected as city manager after a national search and was expected to begin on Wednesday, May 13. Pasadena said then that Futrell brought more than 30 years of public-sector experience, including 18 years in executive city management roles. (cityofpasadena.net) (pasadenanow.com) In a public letter, Futrell said he chose Riverside because the city has “significant momentum” in economic development, infrastructure, public safety and housing. He also pointed to Riverside’s June 2 vote on renewing Measure Z, a local revenue measure now at the center of public outreach meetings. (raincrossgazette.com) That left Pasadena back where it started in one key respect: still relying on an interim manager while it runs a city organization that Pasadena officials say has 2,300 staff, 17 departments and a $1.5 billion annual budget. (cityofpasadena.net 1) (cityofpasadena.net 2) For Riverside, the decision avoids a second leadership transition in less than two weeks. The city had already said it would begin a search for Futrell’s replacement after announcing his departure on April 15. (riversideca.gov) Riverside has credited Futrell’s tenure since January 2023 with more than $4 billion in new investment, full police staffing for the first time in 20 years, and a 35% drop in crime. Those numbers were cited again after he decided to stay. (riversideca.gov) (raincrossgazette.com) The immediate result is simple: Riverside keeps its city manager through the Measure Z campaign, and Pasadena keeps searching with Hawkesworth still in the interim post. (raincrossgazette.com) (mynewsla.com)
