City Council candidate, a Burbank native, wants to put the focus on improvement, not growth
Burbank native Richard Carr thought that he would have a relaxing retirement after more than 40 years working in property management. However, he felt that he can contribute and improve the city where he was born and raised.
Carr, 70, who is running for Burbank City Council for the first time, said that two of the three incumbents — Jess Talamantes and David Gordon — have been on the council for too long and that there needs to be a “changing of the guards.”
“These are not bad people on the City Council,” he said. “However, they’ve been there too long. They are losing sight and perspective.”
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Though he volunteers his time with a few local nonprofits and clubs, Carr said that he thinks he can help Burbank residents better if he is one of the five council members.
He added that having attended Burbank schools and lived in the city for so long would put him at an advantage in the upcoming primary election on Feb. 28.
What do you consider to be the biggest issue facing Burbank today?
The biggest issue that Carr thinks is plaguing Burbank is overexpansion. Instead of constructing more stores, mixed-use developments and housing, Carr said that the city should be focused on improving lighting, the streets and public safety.
“Those are the things that resonate with the citizens,” he said. “I’m like [Vermont Sen.] Bernie [Sanders], down in the trenches and thinking like citizens as opposed to big-picture thinking.”
A city, like Burbank, does not have a “responsibility or duty” to expand, Carr said.
“It most definitely has a responsibility and duty to ensure that the citizens receive the best the governing body can provide, which is constant improvement. We don’t need to grow all the time. Let’s improve what we have.”
How would you ensure that members of the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority stick to what they told voters they would do?
Despite Measure B — the ballot measure that allowed for construction of a 14-gate replacement terminal at Hollywood Burbank Airport — receiving strong support from Burbank voters, Carr said there is arguably a sense of distrust that some residents have with the Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority.
To ensure that airport officials follow the plans they presented to voters, Carr said that he would make it a goal to make the airport authority as transparent as possible.
Additionally, he disagrees with the airport changing its name from Bob Hope Airport to Hollywood Burbank Airport in the effort to attract more passengers.
“It’s about more meetings and more handouts and more outreach to the citizens so that everyone gets involved,” he said.
How would you ensure that the city’s budget is balanced without pulling money from the general fund?
Carr reiterated the importance of improving Burbank’s streets and lighting, which he believes will generate more revenue for the city.
“I don’t mind a deficit to make the improvements, because guess what happens after the improvements are made: All the businesses come up,” he said. “If you improve the safety, the lighting, the public works and infrastructure, it will bring in revenue.”
Carr also recognized that many businesses fail because of a lack of parking. If elected, he would look into figuring out how to create more parking around the city for residents and visitors.
“We need to increase the parking in vital areas and that will increase business,” he said.
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Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
