City of Burbank

City of Burbank — City Council

This person holds one of three at-large seats up this cycle. The seats are on Burbank's City Council. The council has five members, elected to four-year terms. They vote on the city budget, land use, and zoning. They also oversee Burbank Water and Power and the police and fire departments. Each year, the council selects one of its own to serve as Mayor. The Mayor is not a separately elected office.

Thirteen candidates are running for three of Burbank's five City Council seats on November 3. Two incumbents, Mayor Tamala Takahashi and Councilmember Nikki Perez, are seeking reelection. A third incumbent, Zizette Mullins, will not seek another term. There is no primary. All 13 candidates go straight to November. The three with the most votes win.

Each winner serves a 4-year term on Burbank's 5-member council, which sets the city budget, land use and zoning, and oversees Burbank Water and Power, the police and fire departments, and other city operations. The council elects one of its own to serve as Mayor each year — a role separate from this election, not a directly elected office — and the two seats not up this cycle, held by Konstantine Anthony and Christopher Rizzotti, continue on their own term schedule.

This cycle turns on how far Burbank leans into new housing and tenant protections: several candidates campaign on rent stabilization and tenant protections, others on preserving neighborhood character and pushing back on state and local housing mandates, and Waltman's platform centers on public safety and fiscal stewardship instead. Because the seats are citywide at-large, every candidate is on every voter's ballot; weigh the full field rather than a single race.

Jackie Waltman

Jackie Waltman spent 30 years in law enforcement and 20 years in Child Protective Services. They are running on safe neighborhoods, funding public safety, and protecting local businesses. They now serve on Burbank's Civil Service Commission after a term on the Tenant-Landlord Commission.

Samantha Wick

Samantha Wick has lived in Burbank more than 23 years. They serve on the Planning Commission after chairing the Heritage Commission for two years. They founded the city's original Buy Nothing Group and holds a degree in urban planning.

Eddy Polon

Eddy Polon is a screenwriter and community advocate. They serve on the Transportation Commission and formerly ran Continental Kosher Bakery. They campaign on more housing, paths to homeownership, business support, and street safety.

JT Parr

JT Parr is a comedian. They want more housing, better public transportation, and free places for people to gather. They say they aren't seeking endorsements, and the issues matter to them personally.

Nikki Perez

Nikki Perez is the incumbent seeking reelection. They are a renter and working mother recently appointed to the California Film Commission. Their term included rent control work and homeless services funding.

Jonathan Ontiveros

Jonathan Ontiveros is a civil engineer with over a decade in the field. They spent three years with LA County Public Works and are a labor union director. They campaign on modernizing housing policy while preserving neighborhood character and protecting local jobs.

David Donahue

David Donahue is a small business owner with over 35 years of Burbank civic involvement. They have chaired the Crisis House Anti-Slavery Program and led a local Council of Divers. They oppose the Olive Avenue traffic lane reduction and wants lower permit fees.

Nolan Southerland

Nolan Southerland is a film editor with the Motion Picture Editors Guild, IATSE Local 700. They lead Burbank Community Defense and is active in the Burbank Tenants Union. They campaign on rent stabilization and takes no money from landlords or corporations.

Robbie Brody

Robbie Brody is an administrative law judge for the State of California. They were formerly Deputy Director of Litigation at Bet Tzedek Legal Services. They now vice-chair Burbank's Parks and Recreation Board and support parks and local business.

Chris Yoosefi

Chris Yoosefi is a small business owner and U.S. Navy veteran. They served as a hospital corpsman and is active with the American Legion. Their campaign uses themes like Dream Burbank and Vision 2030, without specific policy positions.

Mike Van Gorder

Mike Van Gorder is a housing policy analyst with a master's degree from UCLA. They cite Burbank's roughly $2,949 average two-bedroom rent, up 13% in two years. They campaign on renter protections, wages and benefits, and long-term planning.

Hovanes Tonoyan

Hovanes Tonoyan is a Burbank native and cybersecurity professional. They have a political science background. Their candidate statement could not be read, so no platform details are available.

Tamala Takahashi

Tamala Takahashi is Burbank's Mayor, a title the council rotates among its members. They are seeking reelection to their at large council seat. Their candidate statement could not be read, so no platform details are available.

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A nonpartisan office: candidates do not run as Democrats or Republicans, and no party appears on the ballot.

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