Burbank Approves 1st School Bond in 44 Years

Challenger Patricia Burnett and appointed member Connie Lackey were elected to the school board and a $112.5-million school repair bond measure was approved easily by voters in Tuesday’s general election.

City officials said the school bond, the first to be approved in Burbank since 1953, was sorely needed to rebuild Burbank and Burroughs high schools and to replace poor electrical, plumbing, heating and air-conditioning systems at all of the district’s 19 sites.

Voters approved the measure by easily giving it the two-thirds majority required for it to pass. The financing will cost homeowners an average of $44 per $100,000 of assessed valuation of their property for 25 years, city officials said.

In 1994, a $100-million school bond measure failed when it received yes votes from 53% of the electorate but fell short of the two-thirds majority requirement.

“This is the biggest joy of the night,” Lackey said. “It is the most important thing on the ballot, including me.”

In the school board race, which featured four candidates competing for two seats, Burnett and Lackey received the most votes to win four-year terms.

“Now it’s a huge responsibility to live up to their expectations and I’ll do my best,” Burnett said.

Lackey, who was appointed to the board last year to replace Joe Hooven after he resigned, was elected to the panel for the first time. Incumbent Denise Wilcox, who was trying for a second term, was happy about the bond but disappointed by her loss.

“It’s kind of bittersweet” to lose, Wilcox said, even as the bond measure passed. “I’m proud that the city stepped up to the plate like that.”

Challenger Anthony De Felicis was unable to garner enough support to capture a board seat.

Also Tuesday, residents voted in favor of retaining a 10% transient parking tax at short-term facilities such as Burbank Airport. The tax, adopted by the Burbank City Council in December 1995, does not apply to parking at hospitals, medical facilities and monthly employee or residential parking.

School issues dominated the general election. The February primary settled the City Council race, with Mayor Bill Wiggins, Councilman Dave Golonski and newcomer Stacey Murphy receiving enough votes to eliminate the need for a council runoff.

Also in the primary, Deputy City Clerk Judie Marquiz was elected to replace City Clerk Margaret Lauerman, who is retiring, and City Treasurer Jim Rogers, who ran unopposed, was reelected.

Since then, the city’s campaign focus has been mainly on the bond, the board and the curriculum.

All four school board candidates supported the bond measure as well as numerous other improvements they hoped would help the district’s more than 14,000 students.

City officials said about $81 million of the bond financing was needed for extensive work at the two high schools. The bond money would also help add classroom space and make general improvements to school buildings, many of which are more than 60 years old, they said.

Hernandez is a Times staff writer. Rippee is a correspondent.