BURBANK : Red Cross Chapter Negotiating Merger

The Burbank chapter of the American Red Cross is negotiating a merger with the Los Angeles chapter, giving up local control to maintain services during difficult financial times.

The board of directors for the Burbank chapter voted 11 to 8 last week to merge with Los Angeles, but that vote was voided by the national Red Cross organization because of a provision that required the L. A. chapter to maintain staffing in Burbank at present levels.

A new vote has been scheduled for April 12.

“I’m scared to death if this becomes part of Los Angeles, that we will have lost the opportunity to successfully serve our people,” said Mark MacCarley, a local lawyer and a member of the chapter’s board of directors who opposes the merger.

Executive Director Gay Weston said the chapter is expected to have a $7,500 deficit for the 1993-94 fiscal year, which would be the third year in a row that the chapter reported financial losses.

The recession has cut the amount that the Burbank chapter receives in donations from both the general public and United Way, Weston said.

The Los Angeles chapter has promised to continue services in Burbank after the merger, Weston said.

“It’s really not the end of an era,” she said. “The Red Cross is still going to be there.”

A major issue in the negotiations is what sort of operation would remain in Burbank after the dissolution of the local chapter.

“Our commitment is to provide the same amount of services that are now in Burbank,” said Ann Sobel, associate manager for the Los Angeles chapter. But MacCarley said he worried that once the merger was complete the Burbank chapter building would be closed and replaced with a smaller satellite office.

MacCarley and other members of the board who oppose the merger are trying to find ways to save the chapter through aggressive fund raising and tough scrutiny of the chapter’s $285,000 budget.

“It’s not over,” MacCarley said. “We’re standing up to save the local chapter.”

MacCarley said he did not want to see Burbank merge into Los Angeles and be lost in another organization, with only two Burbank representatives on a board of 35.

“This crisis can turn into a major victory if the people of Burbank are suddenly galvanized into supporting their chapter,” MacCarley said.