Candidates vying for City Council and school board seats

Candidates for Burbank City Council and the Burbank Unified School District  Board are winding down their campaigns as residents prepare to vote in the upcoming election.

The primary nominating election via mail-in ballot is Feb. 22. Whichever candidate or candidates earn more than 50% of the vote automatically earn a seat on the Burbank City Council. If necessary, an additional runoff election will be held in April.

Candidates for City Council face a $8.8-million budget gap looming over City Hall. Last fiscal year, city workers got a combined $1 million in bonuses, even as City Hall worked to bridge a multimillion-dollar budget gap.

Over at the Burbank Unified School district candidates also are poised to inherit budget problems of their own. The district is also braceing for at least another $3.7 million in state funding cuts for the new year, or the equivalent of $250 per student. The district will have to reconcile those cuts with efforts to improve student learning in the near future.

The primary nominating School Board and City Council election via mail-in ballot is Feb. 22. Whichever candidate or candidates earn more than 50% of the vote automatically earn seats. If necessary, an additional runoff election will be held in April.