26 September 2011

The city of West Hollywood, California was profiled as part of the ongoing “Strong Cities | Strong State” campaign highlighting local government success stories across California. 

“Strong Cities | Strong State” is a project of the League of California Cities and the California City Management Foundation (CCMF). "West Hollywood is a creative city and destination chosen by many urbanites to live, play and enjoy” said Mayor John Duran of West Hollywood. “The home of rock’n roll on the Sunset Strip or the gay and lesbian community on Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood is a place where residents and businesses create, on a daily basis, an amazing social experience that transcends our borders,” he said.

The “Strong Cities | Strong State” website is the centerpiece of a campaign broadly promoting city success stories alongside profiles of the elected officials and city managers working together to build and maintain a high quality of life for California city residents.

Highlights of city of West Hollywood’s profile include:

- 25th Anniversary Capital Project: In November 2009, West Hollywood celebrated 25 years of cityhood by embarking on a project to develop premier public facilities, parks and open space. New Library: After two years of construction, the highly anticipated West Hollywood Library is finally near completion, complete with stunning murals painted on the walls.

- Elemental Sculpture Exhibit: The city’s Art on the Outside Program currently hosts seven monumental scale abstract sculptures from world-renowned contemporary artists.

"I have had the pleasure of working in this community for the last 20 years and I continue to be amazed by creative and innovative nature of our residents, business people and city staff” said Paul Arevalo, city manager of West Hollywood. “West Hollywood’s elected and appointed officials, in collaboration with some key stakeholders, have created a vision for the city that exemplifies the values of idealism, creativity and compassion.”

The overarching goal of the “Strong Cities” campaign is to promote the innovation and experience of local officials in delivering vital services at a time when this expertise is vitally needed by state leaders struggling with fundamental issues of governance. “Strong Cities | Strong State” seeks to position cities as vital, necessary and equal partners in building a better California.

The Strong Cities | Strong State campaign will continue profiling individual cities each day, with a goal of highlighting all California cities over the coming year-and-a-half. Profiles include photos, video and other media articulating how each individual city has been working to both provide essential services, as well as elevate the quality life of its residents. Success stories will range from public safety initiatives to educational partnerships, infrastructure improvements to community engagement strategies and more.

For more information about Strong Cities Strong State, click here. To learn more about West Hollywood, click here.