Burbank Mayor Jess Talamantes sets sights on third term
With eight years of experience under his belt, Burbank Mayor Jess Talamantes said he believes he has more left in his tank to be of help to his city.
The 65-year-old retired firefighter from the Burbank Fire Department is looking to defend his seat on the City Council and serve a third term as a council member.
Talamantes said his interest in city government stems from his time on student council when he was attending what was then Luther Burbank Junior High School.
“I was elected the first semester and I ran and was elected again the second semester, so I served a whole year as student body president at Luther,” he said. “That’s really when my love of serving the community started.”
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The incumbent said he understands there are several issues, such as the looming budget deficit and ongoing pushback against development, that he believes he can help solve using the experience he has gained during his time on the dais.
Talamantes added that he brings common sense, a can-do attitude and the willingness to work with his fellow council members and staff to find solutions to the issues Burbank is facing.
“Having the eight years of experience gives me better insight than somebody new that has to come in and learn the process,” Talamantes said. “I feel like I can hit the ground running. There’s no question about it.”
What do you consider to be the biggest issue facing Burbank today?
Talamantes said the projected budget deficit over the next five years and the rising infrastructure and pension costs are the biggest challenges the city is facing. Burbank officials have indicated the city will be in the red over the next five years if nothing is done.
Talamantes pointed out the infrastructure and pension costs are both hovering around $280 million.
“It’s not going to be a quick fix,” he said. “We really need to get our thinking caps on and do some brainstorming.”
The mayor said he recognizes that revenue generated by the city, mainly through sales, property and transient occupancy taxes, are not catching up to the growing expenses. He wants the City Council to start working with the community to address the budget.
“I don’t feel like anything is off the table,” Talamantes said. “We should bring everything to the table and discuss them. It’s easy to say no. It’s a lot tougher to come up with solutions.”
How would you ensure that the members of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority stick to what they told voters they would do?
With Measure B garnering more than enough votes from Burbank residents during the November election, the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority is moving forward with its project to build a replacement 14-gate terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport.
Recognizing the historical tension between residents and the airport authority about constructing a new terminal, Talamantes said the city should talk with its commissioners throughout the year to understand what airport officials are trying to accomplish.
“We need to make sure that everything is transparent, that the community is being asked to participate as [the airport authority] moves forward with the new terminal,” he said. “I definitely want to set up some community meetings, to have the airport, the architect and whoever’s involved with the new terminal to let the community know what we’re going to have there.”
Additionally, Talamantes said he would like to see the airport authority have a few of its meetings, which are usually every first and third Monday of the month at 9 a.m. at Hollywood Burbank, to be held during the evening to allow more residents to attend.
How would you ensure that the city’s budget is balanced without pulling money from the General Fund?
In addition to having the City Council and community bring up ideas to address the looming budget deficit, Talamantes said the city might have to consider a small tax increase to generate additional revenue for the city.
“Right now, 1% of the sales tax we get is $30 million,” he said. “So if you look at a half-percent sales tax, it could give us $15 million on an annual basis. That’s a lot of money that could help with the infrastructure needs. This is not going to be a one-year solution. It’s going to be a long-term solution.”
Additionally, Talamantes said that decreasing city services is not an option for him as a way to balance the budget.
“All of our city services are great and very responsive to the community,” he said. “Do we want to see that drop? I don’t think the community wants to see a drop in service levels, and I wouldn’t be in favor of that either.”
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Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
