City Clerk

A former City Council secretary, and the person to whom City Hall officials have long given the task of following up on questions and problems from the public, was named this week as Burbank's new city clerk. The last clerk resigned a few months after she'd been reelected so she could take a better-paying, management-track job in City Hall. On Tuesday, the City Council voted unanimously to appoint Margarita Campos, a city employee since 1974, to serve the remaining term, roughly three-and-a-half years.

Laura Sturza CIVIC CENTER -- While 21 city clerk hopefuls hotly pursued the recently vacated position, none could match the qualification of newly appointed City Clerk Margarita Campos' 27 years of service to the community. The Burbank City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to appoint Campos city clerk. "I am thrilled and honored that the council chose me to fill the unexpired term," Campos said. "I'm anxious to get to work." The position, which carries with it an $84,000 annual salary, became available when former City Clerk Judy Sarquiz resigned Oct. 12, leaving more than three years remaining on her four-year term.

With one eye on the Burbank city manager's seat and, of course, a heavy heart, Judie Sarquiz, daughter of former Burbank Mayor Larry Stamper, departed from the city clerk's office for the final time last week and carted her belongings to her new office in the Financial Services Department. Stumping for the elected office of city clerk in January, Sarquiz gushed, "I really love what I'm doing. I feel as if I'm giving back, and in a lot of jobs you can't do that."

Laura Sturza CIVIC CENTER -- The process for replacing City Clerk Judy Sarquiz, who resigned Oct. 12, was clarified at Tuesday's City Council meeting. Since more than three years remain of Sarquiz's four-year term, it is up to the council to appoint her replacement by Dec. 1, pursuant to the city charter. The city will be accepting applications for the $84,000 position until Nov. 16, then applicants will be interviewed at the Nov. 27 council meeting.

Laura Sturza CIVIC CENTER -- City Clerk Judy Sarquiz will leave her post of four years effective Nov. 1, she wrote in a memo Friday to Mayor Bob Kramer and the members of the City Council. "It is with a heavy heart that I am today submitting my resignation," Sarquiz wrote. "I have had the opportunity to work with an excellent staff, executive management team and City Council." Sarquiz's current salary as city clerk is approximately $7,000 per month.

Karen S. Kim BURBANK -- The author of Measure A, which is being put to Burbank voters in a special mail-in ballot election Oct. 9, has asked that an independent city clerk be hired to oversee Burbank City Clerk Judie Sarquiz's handling of the election process. Sarquiz has denied the request. "There's no reason for me to hire anyone else, and I have no intention [of doing] that," Sarquiz said. "I have no intention of wasting taxpayers' money to have someone come in here and watch over what I do, because there's no reason for it."

Karen S. Kim BURBANK -- As the four top vote-getters in Burbank's primary head to the general election inApril, the first order of business was deciding whose name would appear where on the ballot. Candidate Marsha Ramos' name will appear first on the general election ballot. Howard Rothenbach's, Dave Golonski's and Gary Olson's names will follow. The ballot order was determined by a drawing in the city clerk's office, where a representative of each candidate was asked to draw a number.

Karen S. Kim BURBANK -- With a position on the Park, Recreation and Community Services board coming open on June 30, the City Council is seeking applicants for the position. The five-member board advises the City Council on matters involving Burbank's parks, including their policies and procedures and the operations of any organizations that use the parks. The board meets at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month. Board members serve without pay and must reside in Burbank.

Karen S. Kim BURBANK -- The deadline to register to vote in Burbank's city elections is Feb. 12, two weeks before the primary on Feb. 27. Burbank residents can fill out a voter registration form at the city clerk's office in City Hall between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. In an attempt to encourage voter turnout, the city clerk's office will remain open until 8 p.m. Feb. 12 to host a voter registration party. Punch, cookies, lawn signs and flyers advertising the election date will be available to anyone who registers after hours.