Burbank to Fix Police Building After Tax Measure’s Defeat

Stung by voter rejection of a tax that would have financed a new $43-million police and fire headquarters, Burbank city officials said Wednesday that they will have to spend up to $3 million to repair the existing Police Department building.

However, City Manager Bud Ovrom insisted that the interim improvements will not erase the need for a new police headquarters and that a new structure will eventually have to be built.

“There is absolutely no question that this building will not be able to meet the needs of the public past the end of this decade.”

Ovrom said officials would have to explore other methods to finance new buildings.

Although there was no organized opposition, voters overwhelmingly turned down Measure D, the only issue on Tuesday’s ballot. With slightly less than 20% of the city’s electorate casting ballots, the proposal, which needed a majority vote to win, drew only 37.5% in support with 3,285 voting for it and 5,473 opposing it.

If the business and residential tax had been approved, the fire and police headquarters would have been consolidated into one building on vacant land at Orange Grove Avenue and 3rd Street. It would have had parking for 450 vehicles, a jail, fire station, emergency operations center, crime and film laboratories and a detective bureau.