Blond man in black jacket holds big white cat with a gray striped head.
Tim Patton, Mayor Garcia's senior administrative deputy, adopted Buttercup, no delicate flower, at the 2015 Kitty Hall.. Photo courtesy of Tim Patton

Tim Patton, 61, has worked in Long Beach city politics for more than 25 years, and now serves as the mayor’s senior administrative deputy and liaison to the LGBT community. Patton holds the distinction of being the first openly gay person to work on the 14th floor of City Hall, where the council offices are located.

He began his political career in 1992 working as 5th District Councilman Les Robbins’ legislative aide for six years, and held the same position for Robbins’ successor Jackie Kell during her first term before becoming her chief of staff for her second term. In 2006 Patton joined the staff of Tonia Reyes Uranga, and worked on her campaign for the Assembly. When Uranga withdrew her candidacy, he went to work for the winning candidate, Bonnie Lowenthal, for five and a half years and worked with Lowenthal in her unsuccessful bid for mayor of Long Beach. Garcia appointed Patton to his current position four years ago.

Q: It seems like there’s a lot of tact involved in your job, and a lot of keeping your mouth shut.

A: You do learn to keep opinions to yourself. You have to remember that if you voice your opinion, it’s often interpreted as your boss saying it. The good thing is mostly I’m in sync with the people I’ve worked for, though sometimes I just have to totally, totally keep my mouth shut.

Q: You’ve worked with quite an array of personalities. How difficult is that for you to adapt to?

A: I’ve worked with so many types of people. Les Robbins was a sheriff from beginning to end. He’d make a decision and he would stick with it; even if you presented him with a good argument against it, he’d dig his heels in. You learned to not argue. The person I worked with after Les was Jackie Kell, who was a teacher, and she would get as much information as possible before making a decision.

Q: You began your career in the 5th District, where the biggest problem is jacaranda blossoms. What was it like moving with Tonia Reyes Uranga in the 7th?

A: Learning the westside was challenging. I was learning as fast as I could and I got thrown to the wolves a few times. I loved her, though; she was good to me.

Q: You had a break in service for the city when you jumped over to the Assembly. How did that come about?

A: Bonnie Lowenthal had a staff in place, but she had an opening for a field rep. I said I’d be happy to come in for a couple of weeks. That turned into five and a half years.

I loved working with Bonnie, but it’s very frustrating. If you work for city you know city managers, and everyone involved with things throughout the city, and you can work with them. At Assembly, you’re one of 80 assembly districts and there’s no way to get things done easily.

Q: You know where the bones are buried. So, where are they buried?

A: I know where some bones are buried. I can’t tell you.

Q: I’m guessing you can’t be a hot head in your job. Anyone ever get you to blow your top?

A: When 9th District Councilman Jerry Shultz made remarks about domestic partnerships. [Shultz infamously remarked to the council in 1996, “What do we say to the man who leads his favorite ewe down the aisle, demanding recognition and acceptance of his attraction to a female sheep?”]

The next day after that speech, I said I would not do anything to help him except for the Veterans Day Parade. He offered an apology to me, but I said, “You owe it to the entire community.”

Q: Things were still pretty tough for gays back then, even though there was a strong and active LGBT community.

A: I was the first openly gay person to work on the 14th floor at City Hall. My husband and I celebrated our 29th year together on June 7. I would’ve loved to have adopted kids, but it was a much harder world back then than it is now. Now I’m busy enough with three rescued dogs and a rescued cat. Our cat was rescued at the first Kitty Hall. Her name is Buttercup and she’s the most lovable cat. She sleeps by my head every night. She adores me and I adore her.

Q: I’m more of a dog person. Tell me about your dogs.

A: We have Harmony, a Pekingese mix; Noodles, a pug; and a terripoo puppy named Pepper. We also have two community cats that we’ve trapped and had altered, but they do not want to be inside.

Q: And your husband’s name is Jolson. Is that for Al Jolson?

A: It is. My husband is Vietnamese and when he came to America at 13 he wanted an American name, and he just liked the sound of Jolson. And “Dallas” was big at the time on TV, so he took the middle name of Richard so his initials would be J.R.

Q: Of all the people you’ve worked for, you seem to be particularly compatible with Robert Garcia.

A: We were both born on Dec. 2. I never used to put much stock in birth dates and astrology, but we have so many similarities. I’m as big a fan of DC comics as Robert is. He loves musical theater, as do I. We love Disneyland. And we spend as much or more time with each other than we do with our significant others.

Q: Have you always lived in Long Beach?

A: I grew up in Buena Park, but my grandparents were in Long Beach near Cherry and Anaheim. But my brother and I spent a lot of time in that neighborhood because my dad took off when I was 2, never to be seen again. Living with my grandparents, I basically missed the 1960s. We watched “Lawrence Welk.” They were very protective of us because they were afraid my father would show up and kidnap us. I’m basically the whitest-bread person you’ll know.

Q: We ask everyone to give us a Top 5 list. Yours is your favorite Disneyland attractions. Go!

A: Well, it’s not my favorite, but I’m afraid of heights, so the first thing I do is drag myself through Tarzan’s Treehouse just to know that I can do it. Then:

  1. The Haunted Mansion: I love the Haunted Mansion. I remember going to it when it first opened.
  2. The Matterhorn Bobsleds: You can’t go on this at other Disney properties, just Disneyland.
  3. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride: I remember my grandfather taking me on it. He loved it, and so do I.
  4. Small World: I love it, but I have the song stuck in my head for weeks.
  5. The Enchanted Tiki Room: I went there the first time just a week or two after it opened. I love listening to those birds sing.

Q: Maybe you should adopt some singing birds?

A: I’m allergic to feathers. I’m allergic to cats, too, but I take pills for it because I love them so much. I’m also allergic to coffee. I’ve never heard of anyone being allergic to coffee, but when I drink it it won’t stay down. Even if I have a dessert made with coffee. It’s gotten a little better. I used to not even be able to pass a coffee house without getting sick. Just smelling it.

Q: What’s next? Are you going to follow Robert Garcia, wherever he goes?

A: I’m 61; when Robert’s term is over I’ll be 65. That’ll be 30 years with the city. I can retire and be happy. There are tons of things I’d love to volunteer for. My husband loves working. I love what I do, too, but you could convince me to relax for a while.

This story was updated July 8 at 2:49 p.m. to correct Tim Patton’s and Robert Garcia’s birthdate.

Tim Grobaty is a columnist and the Opinions Editor for the Long Beach Post. You can reach him at 562-714-2116, email [email protected], @grobaty on Twitter and Grobaty on Facebook.