Politics & Government
State of the City: Pier Avenue, School District
Mayor Peter Tucker places special emphasis on the Pier Avenue Improvement Project and the school district's tight finances in Thursday night's address.
City staffers and Hermosa Beach residents filled a conference room at the on Thursday night for the ninth annual "State of the City" address. Mayor Peter Tucker covered various topics in the traditional speech, including the city's revenues and expenditures. He also commended public safety workers and new city services.
The mayor lamented lean economic times and how they have forced the city to stop funding some popular city traditions. A tight budget has shifted spending toward essential projects, Tucker said, such as the $800,000 allotted for street paving.
"We felt as a council, if you don't have the money, you can't play," he said.
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The Hermosa Beach City School District also . Having recently cut a number of arts programs, the district is still struggling with a limited state budget. Tucker assured he was exploring all avenues to safeguard the city's school district.
On the bright side, renovations to Pier Avenue have been successful, he said. The three-year Pier Avenue Improvement Project includes landscaping and the implementation of a green stormwater system which has garnered awards from the and the .
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"Every time I drive down [Pier Avenue]... I smile from ear to ear that Hermosa has come into its own," Tucker said.