Candidates' forums prove contentious

BURBANK — Traces of antagonism have surfaced among City Council candidates in recent public forums where a deliberately non-confrontational format is designed to keep candidates at arm's length.

While the forums still largely revolve around similarly worded responses to perennial Burbank issues like traffic, development and public smoking bans, an occasional gritting of teeth is exposing an observable animosity between some candidates.

Hardly a forum goes by without mention of husband and wife Carolyn and Philip Berlin's joint campaign for the two council seats that will open up in April.

Some candidates have argued that electing a married couple would precipitate a "voting block," which could stack the council in a particular direction.

"I do think we have to consider that two-fifths of power would be distributed in one household," candidate Anja Reinke said at the Women's League of Voters forum on Jan. 25.

But the Berlins have maintained that their independent records of service to Burbank have shaped their distinct opinions and their votes on the council would not reflect shared perspectives. It is a response the couple reiterated at a Wednesday Burbank Rotary forum.

Conflicts also emerged at the Women's League of Voters when some candidates used their time to directly answer statements made by an opponent.

Candidates Whit Prouty and Vahe Hovanessian clashed momentarily over the ability of the development agreement with Bob Hope Airport to protect against airport expansion.

Prouty directly responded to Hovanessian's rhetorical, "Where were you when the development agreement was being negotiated?" by making a statement that the agreement had enabled the city to "take a breather" from the threat of airport expansion.

During the Rotary forum discussion of the viability of mixed-use development in the Magnolia Park District, Reinke openly challenged her opponents — who were largely critical of mix-use projects in Magnolia Park — declaring that the candidates could not possibly have expertise on the matter because they were not "soothsayers" and she had given up trying to predict the future long ago.

Reinke, who lives and works in Magnolia Park, added that she would evaluate any mixed-use proposal for Magnolia Park on a case-by-case basis.

That tact has followed a trend emerging in recent forums to forgo proposing definitive answers in favor of more neutral promises to carefully weigh the facts involved with any issue that would come before the council.

The City Clerk's office has begun sending out election ballots and some residents are reporting that they have already received them.

The deadline for returning ballots is 7 p.m. Feb. 27.