Whittier City Council April 2024

Welcome to the City of Whittier! We’re glad you stopped by our website – please take a moment to look at the many services and programs our City provides. In addition to finding what you’re looking for, you may even learn a bit more about our wonderful community.

Founded in 1887 as a Quaker Colony, Whittier is a city rich with traditions and history, positioned in a convenient location, and boasting a charming, small-town feel. Whittier’s unique combination of community identity, spirit, and cooperation has attributed to its standing as one of the most attractive and desirable residential and business locations in Southern California.

I am profoundly humbled to have been chosen in April 2016 by the residents of Whittier to serve as their first directly elected Mayor, and reelected again in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024. My City Council colleagues and I are committed to serving Whittier residents with integrity, honesty, and enthusiasm. Our collective priorities for the City are:

• Fiscal Sustainability
• Public Safety
• Quality of Life
• Transparent & Open Government
• Strong Local Economic Base

The City has a long history of being fiscally prudent, a philosophy that has served us well, and the budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year reflects that core value (https://www.cityofwhittier.org/home/showpublisheddocument/12242/638318671829200000). City Council Members agree that the responsible approach is to balance further reductions in public spending with identification of other revenue sources as additional means to balance the budget. As always, we intend to continue to provide key programs and services to residents and businesses as we maintain a balanced budget.

In the next few years, you will see the City invest millions of dollars on infrastructure in Uptown Whittier with proceeds from the repayment of redevelopment agency loans funds, to implement improvements and beautification like enhanced lighting, uniform outdoor dining areas, redesigned green spaces, and a proposed people mover circuit shuttle within the historic Uptown business district. We are also witnessing the completion of The Groves in Whittier development project at the former Fred C. Nelles site, Whittier’s largest development opportunity in over half a century at 74 acres and featuring a variety of residential living options, recreation areas, and A-list commercial retailers including a food hall concept dubbed Rodeo 72 still in the works. The award-winning Whittier Greenway Trail has been completed, extending eastward 2.8 miles to First Avenue and connecting two counties. Many neighborhoods now have direct access to this outdoor recreation, exercise, and travel pathway with plans to develop nearly 2 acres of land acquired at the terminus for fitness and recreation, as well as a potential future extension west connecting to the San Gabriel River.

Renovations have also taken place at a variety of beloved community facilities in recent months. The City Council funded a necessary remodel of the Central Library to maintain its exterior historical significance and updated the interior to serve the 21st century needs of this widely used local resource. Similarly, the Whittier Senior Center is nearing completion on a major renovation that will include new roofing, a new kitchen, new flooring, and accessibility upgrades throughout offering an enjoyable and convenient location that further supports our senior community. Additionally, a new pickleball overlay is slated for Leffingwell Park, Penn Park will receive installation of new play equipment, and Parnell Park is headed toward an expansive improvement project that will include the addition of athletic fields and hard courts, a redesigned petting zoo, a picnic pavilion, additional parking and EV charging stations, and a proper bandshell for community performances. With so many neat projects and things to look forward to, there’s no doubt that Whittier’s… on the move!

The City Council continues to seek opportunities to diversify our local economy, create local jobs, and increase the City’s sales tax revenue base by working to attract new businesses to our community. We are supporting our existing businesses with additional assistance as we look to post-pandemic recovery, and by sharing and streamlining resources and information on programs or educational services to help them succeed. We take “Shopping in Whittier” to another level and continue to support the 6,000+ businesses in town, as well as offer buy-local incentives for government purchasing and buy-local rebates for residential construction projects. When our businesses are successful, our City thrives.

I’m proud to share that the City of Whittier was selected as the Most Business-Friendly City in Los Angeles County by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation in November 2012 and 2018, and was also ranked in the “2014 Top 100 Most Livable Cities” in the entire United States. After reviewing over 1,700 cities across the nation on independent data points, the City of Whittier has been named one of the best, according to Livability.com. Additionally, Whittier has twice been selected by the National Civic League as a finalist for the nationwide All-America City Award. Whittier is indeed a great place to raise a family and we are proud to share this accomplishment with our partners including the local school districts, the business community, nonprofit and service organizations, and of course our residents, who are the reason that Whittier remains such a great place to live, work, shop, and play.

Thank you for visiting our website and please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions, concerns, or suggestions. 

-Joe Vinatieri, Mayor