Dear friends & neighbors:

I am honored to begin my sixth term as Mayor for the great City of Rancho Mirage. I have had the incredible fortune of being a member of the Rancho Mirage City Council for 23 years; and I could not be prouder to represent a city unlike any other.

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday with family and friends. As we move into the new year, I see 2023 shaping up to be a fantastic year here in Rancho Mirage! With new members on the city council, signature city events coming back renewed and refreshed, I'd say the outlook for 2023 is excellent.

Welcome New Councilmembers!

I would like to welcome our three recently elected council members Lynn Mallotto, Meg Marker, and Steve Downs, who were sworn in at the special City Council meeting on December 8, 2022.

Councilmember Lynn Mallotto has been a Coachella Valley resident since 1980, calling Rancho Mirage home for 30 years. She entered public service in 1994, serving 18 years with the City of Cathedral City. Lynn served on the City's Speaker Series Commission twice, first from 2014 to 2017 and then again from 2019 - 2022. She was serving as the Speaker Series Commission Chair prior to her appointment as ity Councilmember for the City of Rancho Mirage.

Read more about Lynn's journey here.

Councilmember Meg Marker has also lived here in the Coachella Valley for over 30 years. Over the last 26 years, she and her husband, Todd, have built Marker Broadcasting, to become the largest independent chain of radio stations in the Coachella Valley. I'm sure that Meg's passion for volunteerism and working with nonprofits throughout the Coachella Valley will bring a new energy to the City Council.

Click here to read Councilmember Marker's story.

Mayor Pro Tem Steve Downs and his wife Geri have owned a home in Rancho Mirage since 2000 and have been full-time residents since 2002. Steve was appointed to serve on the Rancho Mirage City Council on December 16, 2021 and was elected in November 2022 for another four-year term.

Steve served on the Rancho Mirage Planning Commission for two years and was Vice-Chair at the time of his Council appointment.

Click here to read Mayor Pro Tem Downs' full bio.

January Kicks Off an Entertaining 2023!

January is shaping up to be a very entertaining month and the beginning of an exciting 2023. We have so many events planned that our calendars are already full!

Rancho Mirage Speaker Series Turns 20, Moves to New Venue, & Ups its Game

For its 20th anniversary and after a two year hiatus, the Rancho Mirage Speaker Series (RMSS) has a lot of changes in store for attendees. Not only have we moved to a new venue, the Speaker Series Commission has upped its game with an amazing lineup for 2023, and added in a special bonus for SERIES ticket purchasers.

Last month, the 2023 lineup was announced and I have to say, it's a "great one"! Those who plan to attend the 2023 festival can enjoy the same price point as previous years with opportunities to upgrade to VIP Meet & Greet photo and access to private suites and bar.

In order to expand our audience and offer more options for seating, the Commission went in search of the perfect venue.

That's where the City's partnership with Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa (Agua) to host the series became a reality. Through our relationship with Agua, this year's series will be held at their premier entertainment venue The Show.

With a venue of such high caliber, the Commission knew they had to enlist speakers that would align. Hence, they were able to acquire hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky, NFL’s all-time leading rusher Emmitt Smith, and boxing legend and Olympic gold medalist, Sugar Ray Leonard.

Ticket sales began last month and can be purchased at RMSpeakerSeries.com or by calling (800) 514-3849. As an added bonus and thanks to the City's partnership with the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the first 1,000 SERIES package purchasers will be granted free admission to the new Acrisure Arena to watch the CV Firebirds’ home game against the San Diego Gulls on Sunday, January 22, 2023. 

For speaker information, details, pricing and purchasing

visit RMSpeakerSeries.com.

CV Symphony Makes Beautiful Music in Rancho Mirage

The City of Rancho Mirage has partnered with Coachella Valley Symphony (CV Symphony) to bring beautiful music to the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater for their 2023 season.

Under the music direction of conductor John Mario, the amphitheater will host three symphonic concerts in 2023, giving the residents of Rancho Mirage and the Coachella Valley another reason to visit our beautiful amphitheater at Rancho Mirage Community Park located at 71560 San Jacinto Drive. 

On Sunday, January 29, the "Best of Stage and Screen” begins at 2:00 p.m. This performance is free to the public so head on over to the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater.

Take a look at what CV Symphony has in store for March and April! Put those dates on your calendar so you're sure not to miss this musical experience right here in Rancho Mirage.

About the Rancho Mirage Writers Festival

The 2023 Rancho Mirage Writers Festival (RMWF) is quickly approaching with event dates set for February 1-3, 2023.

This fantastic collection of authors comes back together after a two-year postponement to celebrate the written word. The RMWF looks to welcome over 80 authors/moderators and 1,000 plus attendees to the Rancho Mirage Library & Observatory. The 2023 RMWF is sold out, but due to the generous support of the Auen Foundation, every session (81 in total) will be filmed and available on the Rancho Mirage Writers Festival YouTube channel within two-weeks of the event.

In addition to the Auen Foundation and the filming of all sessions, thanks to the generous support of Gwen Ramras, the Writers Festival live streams certain sessions to students in Alaska. Not reaching as far as Alaska, but here locally, the support of Jeannette and Raymond Galante allows the Writers Festival Foundation to offer single day passes for over 30 middle and high school students and teachers from schools throughout the valley.

The RMWF Board has a goal to make the RMWF an all year long experience. The Writers Series presents world-class authors, notable leaders, and celebrated speakers to the public free of charge.

In 2022, the Foundation presented 15 Writers Series events, held in the Community Room at the Rancho Mirage Library & Observatory. Over the course of those events, the Foundation gave out over 3,500 books free to the community, valued close to $50,000 and in keeping with the same spirit, the RMWF will be donating extra lunches to three local shelters, Shelter from the Storm, Coachella Valley Rescue Mission and Well in the Desert, in order to reduce food waste. 

Click here to learn more about the speakers already scheduled for the 2023 Writers Series.

Be the first to hear about 2024 RMWF pass sales, new Writers Festival/Series author, signup for the Writers Festival e-blast at rmwritersfest.org.

Stay Informed with R/M Weekly Updates

Each week, the City sends out an imformative email known as the R/M Weekly.

This informative email is filled with upcoming city, amphitheater, and library events, Chamber of Commerce news, Burrtec trash/recycling services, and resident programs. Stay informed about important dates like blood drives, document shredding, and the like.

Whatever is happening in Rancho Mirage, the R/M Weekly will keep you informed and up to date.

If you're not signed up to receive the City's weekly email, you can do so by clicking here and choose R/M Weekly.

Reminders...

Here are a few things to remember for the month of January 2023:

- City Hall will be closed on Monday, January 16, 2023 in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. day.
- Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky opens the Rancho Mirage Speaker Series on January 23, 2023.
- Rancho Mirage Library and Observatory will be closed from January 27 - February 7 for the Writers Festival.
- CV Symphony's "Best of Stage and Screen" kicks off their 2023 season on January 29 at the Rancho Mirage Amphitheater.