Burbank Official Decides Against Reelection

City Councilwoman Susan Spanos said Tuesday that her decision not to seek reelection stems from her need to recover privately from an alleged sexual assault last January.

“I have a lot of healing to do,” Spanos said in a telephone interview. “I cannot be an effective participant in the community unless I am strong.”

Spanos, 33, who was the city’s youngest-ever council member when she took office in May 1993, earlier this year accused local newspaper columnist Will Rogers of sexual assault. Rogers denied the claim and the district attorney’s office declined to press charges.

Spanos filed a lawsuit against Rogers, who writes columns for the Glendale News Press, Burbank Leader and Foothill Leader. The lawsuit also named the publisher of the newspapers, California Community News.

California Community News is owned by Times Mirror Co., which also publishes the Los Angeles Times. California Community News was dismissed as a defendant in the case in November.

Rogers, who has been a columnist nearly seven years, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. Spanos’ decision not to run for reelection to a second four-year term probably came from her eroding support in the city, he said.

“Only Mrs. Spanos is responsible for whatever her decision was,” Rogers said Tuesday. “I’ve denied all her allegations. There is nothing related to me for her to recover from.”

Last May, Spanos, then vice mayor, was passed over when other council members wary of her holding the top council office broke from the tradition of naming the vice mayor the next mayor. Instead, Bill Wiggins was named mayor and Spanos’ most vocal council critic, Bob Kramer, was named vice mayor.

That same month, the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office declined to press charges against Rogers for the alleged assault in his car following a Jan. 9 council meeting. Spanos had complained to Burbank police in April.

Representatives for the district attorney’s office said their decision was based on the “delay in reporting, the inconsistency among witness statements, and problems regarding witnesses’ motives.”

Spanos, who enjoyed campaign endorsements from such groups as the Burbank City Employees Assn., Burbank Firefighters Assn. and Burbank Police Officers Assn., said Tuesday she was not discouraged by recent events.

When her term ends at the end of April, Spanos, a mortgage-loan consultant at American Savings Bank, said she will concentrate on taking care of herself and her family. She is married to lawyer Ted Spanos and the couple have a 7-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter.

“I feel very content with the service that I’ve provided to the public for the past 3 1/2 years,” she said. “That brings me a tremendous amount of joy. I’m just very humbled that I’ve had the opportunity to contribute.”