As residential Realtor in Burbank, City Council candidate Whit Prouty meets families all the time who are drawn to Burbank for its unique character and small-town feel.
"They stay in Burbank or they come to Burbank because of what a wonderful place it is," he said.
And the desire to help maintain Burbank's high quality of life fuels Prouty's bid for one of two council seats that are opening up in April.
Prouty's first steps into Burbank civic affairs began with the PTA when his children started going to Burbank schools. His PTA work served as a bridge to involvement with the Chamber of Commerce, and soon after he became active with nonprofit organizations.
When he joined the Leadership Burbank program, Prouty was given an up-close look into city goings-on.
"You get to learn about the infrastructure of the city," he said. "You get to see a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff that you normally wouldn't have access to."
The experience acquainted Prouty with the city's departmental structure and his interest in the city's inner workings grew, he said.
"That certainly set the spark because I am extremely interested in what goes on in this community," he said. "But I believe that we are at a very critical point. This is a very critical election and I think that I have the leadership skills to be a part of the continued prosperity of this community."
But that prosperity could be compromised, Prouty said, with the election of a candidate who focuses on what he what he describes as "conspiracy theory" politics.
"There is a certain camp that is gloom and doom and if they're elected they will take Burbank backward," he said. "And I will have the leadership to continue moving us forward and maintain the prosperity."
Any sort of regression could inflict adverse consequences on city services and public safety, which the public has long counted on for their reliability and high quality, he said.
And the future development in Burbank, which is always a concern of residents, must walk a careful balance between bringing in developments that continue the city's prosperity and protecting the interests of Burbank residents.
Prouty looks forward to tackling the steep learning curve that would come with the first months on the council.
