Paul Clinton
CIVIC CENTER -- Vice Mayor Bob Kramer's secret is out.
The two-term councilman said he will run for the City Treasurer's post
in February, putting an end to months of speculation inside City Hall.
"I probably will," Kramer said Wednesday. "It's a good opportunity for
me."
Kramer, who received more votes than any council candidate in the
city's 89-year history when he was reelected in February 1999, would have to resign his council seat if he wins, according to the City Charter.
Kramer said he would keep his council seat while runs for the job.
The treasurer oversees spending and invests city funds. Because the
treasurer must adhere to guidelines that have been carefully spelled out,
the individual who holds the post doesn't have free reign in city
spending decisions. Financial Services Director Derek Hanway oversees the
city budget and helps set financial policy.
Kramer has acknowledged he doesn't have much experience managing
money, but said he has been a guardian of the public purse since he was
first elected in 1995. He said he wanted to run for the post so he could
serve the city full time.
"I have made a career out of trying to protect the taxpayer's money,"
Kramer said. "Nobody does it more often than the city treasurer."
The treasurer job, like City Clerk, is an elected position. It pays
$77,208 per year. As a councilman, Kramer receives $10,572 in annual compensation.
Other Burbank council members have opted for the city treasurer's post
in the city's history. In November 1969, Jack Whitney was appointed to
the job after eight years as a councilman. Whitney held the post for 20
years. Former mayor Walter Hinton was also a treasurer from 1950 to 1969.
"We do have a standing history for this type of thing," City Clerk
Judie Sarquiz said.
Kramer ran a painting contracting business for more than 20 years
before retiring in mid-1999. The 53-year-old councilman, who served as
mayor from 1997 to 1998, worked for Lockheed Corp. in the 1970s tracking
budgets for the aerospace firm.
Current treasurer Jim Rogers, who was first elected in 1989, has said
he won't run for reelection.
