David Gordon

I had the honor to serve as chair of the 2005-06 Burbank Charter Review Committee, a panel of 15 City Council-appointed volunteers, including now councilmember-elect Bob Frutos. Members of the committee dedicated more than 500 hours of volunteer time to this effort. The council had mixed reactions to our recommendations; however, what stands out was the lack of respect and contemptuous remarks directed at the committee and its work by Councilmember David Gordon. Gordon charged that our work was sloppy and our recommendations useless.

I was sorry to read that David Gordon is running for City Council again. Burbank is facing a difficult transition in management and many economic challenges. We need council members who are positive, wise team players and who have vision. Gordon is a terrible distraction at council meetings, in my opinion, with his endless questions, long lectures, more questions, occasional rudeness to city staff and colleagues. Most discussions end with him losing on the votes. He is not the noble underdog in city politics.

Dave Golonski - who first took office a few months after Bill Clinton became president - lost his bid Tuesday for an unprecedented sixth term. Golonski, who established himself on the City Council dais 20 years ago, lost out to fellow incumbents David Gordon and Jess Talamantes on Tuesday, capping a defeat foreshadowed by his worst primary finish ever in February. Out of 11,123 votes cast, Gordon and Talamantes received 5,411 and 5,268, respectively, according to the unofficial results.

Despite being on the council for seven years, David Gordon was elected vice-mayor for the first time by his fellow council members this month . The move, by tradition, puts him in line to be mayor the following year. Bert Ring imagines the scene.  -- Dan Evans, Times Community News Follow Dan Evans on Twitter: @EditorDanEvans .  

I am responding to a letter (“ David Gordon is bad for Burbank ,” Mailbag, March 20) from Carolyn Jackson charging Councilman David Gordon with having “proven” he is “an uninformed, misogynistic, unreasonable and belligerent bully.” I cannot comment on misogyny, belligerence and bullying, since I was not present at her interactions with him back in 2005-06. Aside from the obvious factor that tossing muddy personal labels and name-calling at a candidate just before an election ought to focus on the accuser highly justified suspicion at the least, I can say that whatever Jackson thinks Gordon has “proven” to her, she has proved nothing to me by her assertions.

CITY HALL ? The City Council on Monday is scheduled to replace Mayor Gary Bric and name a vice mayor as part of an annual reorganization. Bric, a restaurateur entering his fourth year on the council, is expected to cede the center seat on the dais to Vice Mayor Anja Reinke when the council votes to shift titles and responsibilities at its 10 a.m. reorganization meeting. Councilmen Dave Golonski, David Gordon and Jess Talamantes are all eligible to fill the seat, which all but guarantees an appointment to mayor in 2011, the city?

How many times have we read a line like this in the paper? “The sole dissenting vote was cast by David Gordon.” Isn't it an insult to all of us who thoughtfully elected the other four council members to have Gordon's supporters telling us that the folks we chose to represent us are always wrong? If he's so brilliant and all-knowing, wouldn't he have found at least one other person to regularly vote with him in seven years as a council member? The only thing proven about David Gordon is that he's not suited for a democratic, collegial form of government.

Voter turnout in Tuesday's general election reached 18%, with 11,161 out of 60,623 registered voters participating, according to the final election results. In the City Council race, David Gordon came in first with 5,430 votes, while Jess Talamantes finished second with 5,290 votes, results show. Mayor Dave Golonski and David Nos finished with 4,571 and 4,367 votes, respectively. In the Burbank Unified school board race, winners Larry Applebaum and Charlene Tabet amassed 5,882 and 4,967 votes, respectively.

You showed your bias by printing the picture of David Gordon with the caption underneath suggested by your reader, Carolyn Jackson. Gordon gave a thoughtful and helpful suggestion to a client of mine who went before the council with an issue. He was not one of the sheep who simply followed each other's responses. He was thoughtful, analytical and empathetic. I'd recommend the people of Burbank stand up for him and vote him back to the council. Margie Vierra Burbank

For the first time after seven years on the Burbank City Council, David Gordon was  selected as the city's vice mayor. The largely ceremonial post, which requires the approval of the council, is a prerequisite to becoming the city's mayor, an annual rotating position that has so far eluded Gordon. “I'm very honored to have this position,” Gordon said of the vice-mayorship on Wednesday. After a year as vice mayor, Emily Gabel-Luddy was unanimously selected as mayor. Gordon, a controversial figure who often stands alone on issues, had been overlooked for mayor multiple times during his seven years on the council.

Despite being on the council for seven years, David Gordon was elected vice-mayor for the first time by his fellow council members this month . The move, by tradition, puts him in line to be mayor the following year. Bert Ring imagines the scene.  -- Dan Evans, Times Community News Follow Dan Evans on Twitter: @EditorDanEvans .  

David Gordon, a man with seven years under his belt as a member of the Burbank City Council, was this week selected by his colleagues to serve the coming year as vice mayor. And, unless his peers lose faith in his leadership abilities within the coming 12 months, it is highly likely they will elevate him to the position of mayor in the spring of 2014. A casual observer might wonder what took so long for Gordon to achieve this position, as it is far more common for city councils to take turns and rotate people into the largely ceremonial positions.

For the first time after seven years on the Burbank City Council, David Gordon was  selected as the city's vice mayor. The largely ceremonial post, which requires the approval of the council, is a prerequisite to becoming the city's mayor, an annual rotating position that has so far eluded Gordon. “I'm very honored to have this position,” Gordon said of the vice-mayorship on Wednesday. After a year as vice mayor, Emily Gabel-Luddy was unanimously selected as mayor. Gordon, a controversial figure who often stands alone on issues, had been overlooked for mayor multiple times during his seven years on the council.

Being selected by colleagues on the City Council to be the next vice mayor or mayor has absolutely nothing to do with votes garnered in an election. It's not even about extending honor. It's about council members' beliefs in the selected colleague's leadership integrity and ability to work as a member of the team to serve the best interests of the city. David Gordon is one of three council members passed over in the last 16 years. He is a polarizing figure in Burbank politics.

I would like to send out a congratulations to Bob Frutos, David Gordon and Jesse Talamantes on their election wins, as well as a sincere thank you to Dave Golonski for his years as a council member and mayor of our great city. Thanks for your insight, your temperament, your honest appraisals and your care for the environment. Your presence will be missed and you leave a legacy that will not be forgotten. I note that some of the groups you fought for were the least politically connected and many of us will never forget that.

I would like to congratulate Jess Talamantes and David Gordon for their victories on Tuesday night's general election. It was a hard-fought campaign and they deserved to win. I would also like to express my appreciation for David Golonski's 20 years of service to our city. Dave, you did a fine job. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the many voters who selected me as their candidate. You have my gratitude, from the bottom of my heart. Lastly I would like to thank my wife, Kimberley; Ron Sabatine, my campaign manager; Mal and Linda Kelman, my treasurers, whose tireless efforts kept me positive and on task; and Bob Frutos and Gary Bric for their unwavering friendship and support.

Voter turnout in Tuesday's general election reached 18%, with 11,161 out of 60,623 registered voters participating, according to the final election results. In the City Council race, David Gordon came in first with 5,430 votes, while Jess Talamantes finished second with 5,290 votes, results show. Mayor Dave Golonski and David Nos finished with 4,571 and 4,367 votes, respectively. In the Burbank Unified school board race, winners Larry Applebaum and Charlene Tabet amassed 5,882 and 4,967 votes, respectively.

With roughly 80% of the ballots for the Burbank general election counted just after 8 p.m., longtime Councilman Dave Golonski remained vulnerable to defeat. Fellow incumbents David Gordon and Jess Talamantes, meanwhile, were in the top to slots needed for re-election. Out of 9,330 ballots counted just after 8 p.m. Gordon was the top vote-getter, having collected 4,480 votes. Talamantes followed just behind him with 4,417 votes. During the February primary, Bob Frutos was elected outright, bypassing the need to compete in Tuesday's general election and forcing the three incumbents - Talamantes, Gordon and veteran Councilman Dave Golonski - to a match up in which only two seats remain.

Dave Golonski - who first took office a few months after Bill Clinton became president - lost his bid Tuesday for an unprecedented sixth term. Golonski, who established himself on the City Council dais 20 years ago, lost out to fellow incumbents David Gordon and Jess Talamantes on Tuesday, capping a defeat foreshadowed by his worst primary finish ever in February. Out of 11,123 votes cast, Gordon and Talamantes received 5,411 and 5,268, respectively, according to the unofficial results.

During the last stretch before Tuesday's general election in Burbank, fundraising continued among the four candidates competing for two seats on the Burbank City Council, recent reports show. City Council incumbent Dave Golonski raised $3,410 over the most recent reporting period spanning March 24 to April 3 from 22 sources, boosting his total since the start of the campaign to $18,983. He received $250 each from the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters, Disney Worldwide Services and Warner Bros.