A review of issues facing Glendale

What kind of a job is the Glendale City Council doing? Does the City Council really represent the citizens of Glendale? Let’s look at the Council’s agenda:

1) It is refusing to stop taking $21 million annually in transfers from the fund-drained Glendale Water and Power Department, an action which is clearly in violation of the charter. That money is used to pay for some of the city’s public services. If the time ever comes when the city admits it is in the wrong, it will have to pay back huge amounts of that money to the GWP. This illegal transfer began in 1941 with “a reasonable portion” being taken each year from the GWP. That amount has now grown to $21 million annually for well over 10 years. We’re talking about many hundreds of thousands of dollars owed by the city to GWP. Where will the Council get this kind of money as its revenue budget is already in trouble?

2) The city continues to lose lawsuit after lawsuit although the city attorney, in some cases, keeps saying the city wasn’t liable.

3) The City Council appointed Frank Quintero as a replacement for member Rafi Manoukian, now the new city treasurer, rather than hold a special city election. Manoukian was elected because Glendale voters wanted an election, not an appointment. Is this any different than the selection process for a fifth council member?

4) The City Council faces an embarrassing and unresolved situation with the election of controversial Zareh Sinanyan as a member.

5) New Mayor Dave Weaver continues with his loose talk on the dais and will restrict the speakers he doesn’t like to only one minute while giving more time to other speakers. Apparently, he doesn’t believe in the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and he’s the mayor of Glendale. What are people to think?

Don Mazen
Glendale