Letter from the Mayor

Thank you for visiting the Whittier Area Chamber of Commerce website. I hope that you will find the information you are looking for and, perhaps, be inspired to join the Chamber, if you are not already a member, or be inspired to get more involved with this great organization.

Founded in 1887 as a Quaker Colony, Whittier is a city rich with traditions and history, a convenient location and a small town feel. A strong sense of this heritage, which stresses the protection of landmark structures and sites, is shared by the people who call Whittier home. Whittier’s unique combination of community identity, spirit and cooperation have helped make it 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 re-elected again in 2018. And with our new district form of government, I am committed to serving our citizens with integrity, honesty and enthusiasm as we begin a new chapter in Whittier’s history. During my term as Mayor, our focus will remain on proactive jobs and economic development and working as one promoting the business-friendly culture we have created here, as well as continuing to support what makes Whittier truly unique: our many nonprofits, schools, faith institutions, public safety personnel and veterans.

The City has a long history of being fiscally prudent, a philosophy that has served us well, and the budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year reflects that core value. 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 and along Whittier Boulevard with $25,954,451 in redevelopment bond funds to implement infrastructure improvements for the historic Uptown business district and The Groves of Whittier development project at the former Fred C. Nelles site, Whittier’s largest development opportunity in over half a century. The award-winning Whittier Greenway Trail will soon be extended eastward 2.8 miles to the Orange County line, allowing many more neighborhoods direct access to this outdoor recreation, exercise, and travel pathway. The City Council is also exploring the renovation of the Central Library to maintain and update the bones of this much-used community resource. With much development underway throughout the community, this is an exciting time to live in Whittier.

The City Council continues to seek opportunities to increase the City’s sales tax revenue by working to attract new business to our community. We also continue to support our existing businesses by sharing information on services and by providing educational programs to help them succeed. We take “Shopping in Whittier” to another level and support the over 6,000 businesses in town. When our businesses are successful, the City thrives.

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. Whittier 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 is among 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 live 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 and shop.

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

Joe Vinatieri
Mayor