Glendale, which has the reputation of being the city with the largest Armenian population in the Diaspora, has a new mayor, Ardashes (Ardy) Kassakhian, an Armenian.
He was elected to the city council in 2020, before that, for more than fifteen years, he was the secretary of the municipality.
Since those years, he has gained the sympathy of the citizens, as a knowledgeable, willing and professional figure. The five members of the city council take the position of the mayor in turn.
Kassakhian is sure that his job in the new position will not change much - he will continue to serve the city and its inhabitants, adhering to his principles.
Ardashes Kassakhian (Mayor of Glendale) - I am convinced that the main thing is modesty, officials should remember that we are the servants of the community, who have chosen us to ease their pain. It is binding, but it is not easy, but something that improves community life is the best job for a public servant.
Ardashes Kassakhian told he entered this very hall at the fourth grade for the first time, when he won an award for the best composition. At that time, he did not intend to become a politician or a statesman.
Ardashes Kassakhian - At that time my goal was not to be involved in politics, my parents are chemists, they met at YSU. They hoped that their son would be a pharmacist, a doctor, but I got into politics because there were not many Armenians in those days, as they say, if you are not at the table, then you are on the menu, then, unfortunately, we Armenians were not very involved in politics, and we are not yet. We must open the doors for the Armenian youth to continue this work.
Providing affordable housing for the people of Glendale, making the city safer, and working with schools will continue to be in the center of the newly elected mayor's attention in the conditions of widespread price increase. And every Friday morning, in order to hear about people's problems, he has coffee with the Glendale people in one of the open-air cafes in the city. The mayor of the city, which is almost half Armenian-populated, expects the active participation of the Armenian community in the city's programs.
Ardashes Kassakhian - We, as Armenians, call on the people to behave in such a way that others look at us with envy, how we take care of this city, which has the most Armenians. Glendale is one of the centers where Armenians around the world look at what we do here, and can help other communities mutually.
The number of Armenians in Glendale has changed since the last census. Kassakhian said that they want to clarify it in order to fully involve the Armenian community in the city's programs.
Ardashes Kassakhian - There are no official data, but we would like to know whether they have increased or decreased, as many say that Armenians go to other cities where apartments are cheaper. We want to know, because future programs for young people, the elderly, etc. depend on it.
Ardashes Kassakhian is always following the developments in the Homeland, he intends to visit Yerevan. The new mayor of Glendale already knows one of his upcoming tasks: on April 24, the traditional Armenian Genocide Remembrance Night will be organized, this time paying tribute to the memory of the 44-day war heroes, too.
