Pasadena leader taps new chief of staff
Pasadena Mayor-elect Jeff Wagner confirmed Wednesday that he has chosen former Houston City Councilman James Rodriguez as his chief of staff.
Wagner, a city councilman who defeated community college trustee John Moon Jr. in a June 10 runoff in the mayor’s race, will be sworn in Saturday. He will replace longtime Mayor Johnny Isbell, who could not seek re-election because of term limits.
The City Council voted last week to create the chief of staff position, with a salary range of $136,000 to $204,000 a year, said outgoing Councilman Ornaldo Ybarra. Wagner has been introducing Rodriguez to council members as his choice for the position, Ybarra said.
Wagner, a retired Houston police officer, said he became acquainted with Rodriguez through his work with the Houston Police Officers’ Union.
Rodriguez served three terms, ending in 2013, representing council District I on Houston’s east side.
Wagner’s choice of a Latino for a high-profile job in his administration might be seen as a sign of outreach to Pasadena’s Latinos, who now account for about two-thirds of the population in the city of roughly 150,000. A federal judge found in January that a new council district system, initiated by Isbell, and supported by Wagner and Isbell’s other allies on the council, unlawfully diluted Latino voting strength.