In April 2007, Margaret McAustin was elected Pasadena City Council Member for District 2, home to some of the city's most venerable Neighborhoods and Historic Landmark Districts, including North Pasadena Heights, Historic Highlands, Bungalow Heaven, Crawford’s Vista and Brigden Ranch. District 2 also includes the many businesses in the commercial corridors along Washington Boulevard, Lake Avenue and Allen Avenue, serving the needs of the residents of north-central Pasadena.
As a Council Member, Margaret currently serves as Chair of the Pasadena Municipal Services Committee, responsible for directing city policy in the vital areas of water and power. Margaret is committed to advancing the city as an environmental leader while providing affordable power and water for our residents for years to come through solid planning and infrastructure investment. Margaret also serves on the Public Safety Committee, the Legislative Policy Committee and as the Pasadena representative to the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments.
The hallmark of her service is her championship of quality of life issues, including promoting a safe, secure city, preserving and acquiring open space, parks and affordable housing, and protecting the character of our residential neighborhoods, which are so vital to Pasadena’s success.
Margaret began her 25 years of civic involvement as a neighborhood activist and continues to support, encourage and develop neighborhood leaders and neighborhood involvement through authentic community participation in city government. In 2008 she, along with the PFD, sponsored a neighborhood Emergency Response Training Session where over 75 neighborhood residents were trained in the basics of emergency response in the event of earthquakes or other civil disasters.
She served as Pasadena City Planning Commissioner from 1993-1997 and was appointed again to the Planning Commission in 2005 by Mayor Bill Bogaard. She served as a member of the City's l998 Charter Reform Task Force, was Co-Chair of the North Lake Specific Plan Coordinating Committee and a member of the Light Rail Station Design Review Committee. Committed to community service, Margaret served as co-president of the Historic Highlands Neighborhood Association and was a founding member of both the Victory Rose and the Washington Square Neighborhood Associations.
In her 25-year career as an asset manager for a privately-held real estate management company, Margaret acquired extensive experience in managing multi-million dollar projects and budgets, municipal bond financing, litigation oversight, project management and acquisitions and sales. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from California State University, Los Angeles. Margaret fell in love with the city and its neighborhoods after moving to Pasadena more than 30 years ago. She lives with her husband, John, and their superdog, Wrigley, in the Historic Highlands neighborhood.