Whittier City Council April 2025

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 2025-26 fiscal year reflects that core value.  cityofwhittier.org/home/showpublisheddocument/14908/638977853619546979.  City Council Members agree that the responsible approach is continuing 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 improvements throughout the community, from traffic safety and efficiency improvements to park renovations and expansions.  

We’re thrilled to see how quickly the Whittier Cruiser, our new micro transit program launched in June 2025, has become a favorite way for locals and visitors to get around town. Offering free, electric rides between key destinations, the Cruiser has been especially popular with people headed to The Groves and Rodeo 72—now fully complete and thriving. What was once the Fred C. Nelles site is now Whittier’s largest development in over 50 years, transformed into a vibrant 74-acre mixed-use destination with diverse housing options, green space, and A-list commercial retailers. Rodeo 72’s food hall concept has quickly become a regional draw.

The award-winning Whittier Greenway Trail has been completed which means the trail now connects more than 7 miles across the entire community from west to east City limits. Many neighborhoods now have direct access to this outdoor recreation, exercise, and travel pathway with plans to develop nearly 2 acres of open land acquired at the east terminus for fitness and recreation, as well as a potential future extension west connecting to the San Gabriel River trail.

Big things are happening at our parks and facilities! Renovations to the Whittier Central Library and Uptown Senior Center are now complete—and both are being used more than ever. The library maintains its beloved historic exterior, while the fully modernized interior now better serves the 21st-century needs of the community and houses a Makers Space with a wide range of creative, innovative tools and technology to encourage Whittier’s youngest innovators. The Uptown Senior Center’s improvements include a new roof, a modern kitchen, new flooring, and accessibility upgrades throughout—creating a welcoming, functional space for our senior residents.

At our parks, pickleball continues to thrive—the overlay courts are constantly in use and have become a go-to spot for recreation. Guirado Park basketball courts were refurbished, Kennedy Park received a facelift, new playground equipment was installed at Penn Park, and Leffingwell Park now features a pickleball overlay as well.

Looking ahead, we’re excited about the Parnell Park Improvement Project, which is expected to break ground in Fall 2025. This expansive upgrade includes:

• New athletic fields and shared basketball & pickleball courts
• A redesigned and enlarged petting zoo
• A new picnic pavilion
• Shaded picnic areas
• Additional parking and EV charging stations
• A proper bandshell for concerts and community performances
• Upgraded restrooms
• Improved lighting
• And enhanced accessibility throughout the park

Whittier’s parks and public facilities are thriving, and we’re proud to continue investing in spaces that bring our community together. 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. Whittier continues to promote the “Shop Whittier” campaign to encourage local consumer spending. 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