Welcome to the first monthly column from the Mayor’s office. For those of you I haven’t met in person just yet, my name is Armondo Pavone, and I’m honored to serve as the Mayor of the City of Renton.
I’ve spent my whole life in Renton and have operated a small business downtown since 1985.
Our city is at its greatest when we come together and celebrate the diverse backgrounds and cultures that make our community so robust and welcoming.
We’ve celebrated that diversity in the last two months. We held the city’s first Lunar New Year celebration and designated Jan. 22 as Lunar New Year Day in Renton.
We also proclaimed Feb. 6 as “Ted Rodriguez Day,” and honored Ted for 40-plus years of civic contributions by presenting him with a Key to the City.
February was Black History Month, and we celebrated with a proclamation accepted by Renton Technical College President Dr. Yoshiko Harden and Franchesca “Fancy” Vargas of Elevate PR Management.
Meanwhile, I am proud of the work our Mayor’s Inclusion Task Force, Equity Commission, and our newly-formed Equity, Housing and Human Services Department do to increase access and communication across many cultures. I appreciate their dedication to our community.
Legislative Update
With the state legislature in session, I spent three days at the capitol last month as part of City Action Days, an event by the Association of Washington Cities. It was an excellent opportunity to advocate in person for legislation to help us achieve the needs of our constituents – from infrastructure funding to public safety.
In face-to-face meetings with ten of our legislators from six different legislative districts, I discussed the current challenges we face regarding laws surrounding drug possession and lent my support to finding solutions that encourage accountability through deferred sentencing for those who complete treatment successfully. I also testified in favor of SB 5536 and SB 5467, which propose changes to meet our goals for public safety. When government works best, it is a collaborative effort between local, state, and federal levels – strong relationships are key to accomplishing more for Renton.
State of the City on March 21
Mark your calendars; I’ll give my first State of the City address on Tuesday, Mar. 21, at 6 p.m. at Renton IKEA Performing Arts Center at Renton High School. This will be a free event – tickets are available at rentonwa.gov/sotc. All are invited.
I look forward to highlighting what we’ve accomplished across all city departments and sharing insight into what we’re working on and where we’re headed.
You can find regular updates from me on Facebook (@mayorpavone), or you can follow the city (@cityofrenton) on Facebook, Instagram, Nextdoor or Twitter. Not on social media? Our email newsletter, This Week in Renton is an excellent source for upcoming events and news. You can find links to these publications and pages on rentonwa.gov/memo.
Do you have a question or an idea for a future column? Reach out to communications@rentonwa.gov.
Armondo Pavone
Mayor of Renton
