BURBANK CITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS : 4 Candidates Trade Barbs, Accusations in Final Forum

Four candidates for two seats on the Burbank City Council in next week’s general election traded barbed remarks Wednesday and disputed charges of smear-campaigning, impropriety and conflict of interest.

The candidates appeared at a forum at the Burbank Library auditorium. The forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters, represented last appearance together before the April 9 election.

Also appearing at the forum were four Burbank Board of Education candidates competing in a runoff election for two seats on the five-member panel.

Council incumbents Robert Bowne and Mary Lou Howard are facing challenges by city Planning Board President George Battey and engineering consultant Thomas A. McCauley.

As in the primary campaign, the discussion was dominated by differences over development. Bowne and Battey both have said there are enough restrictions on development. Howard and McCauley have said that more safeguards are needed to protect neighborhoods.

In one of the evening’s most heated statements, Howard accused Battey of circulating mailers that attacked her voting record and anti-development stand.

Howard also accused the current council of being unresponsive to residents. “These mailers are coming out because I am not one of the good old boys who kowtow to every whim of developers,” Howard said.

Battey responded that he has no connection to the organization sending out the mailers that Howard criticized. Howard countered that the group is made up of Battey supporters.

Bowne was questioned by members of the audience about large contributions to his campaign. The questioners said the money came from developers. Bowne said he was not aware of the sources of all his campaign contributions.

McCauley repeated a call for more restrictions on development.

Howard, a 12-year council member, finished a surprising third in the February primary, and is believed to be facing an uphill battle in the runoff election.

The veteran councilwoman was criticized during the campaign by those who contrasted her strong anti-development statements with council decisions to allow construction of large developments in the city. Howard voted against some of the development decisions.

Three slow-growth measures were soundly defeated by voters in the February election. The measures had been sponsored by residents and homeowners who contended that rampant development was threatening the city’s neighborhoods.

In the school board portion of the forum, incumbent William Abbey was criticized by three other candidates who said the board had allowed the physical condition of the city’s schools to deteriorate.

Abbey replied that reduced state funding, not board neglect, was to blame.

Abbey is competing in the runoff election against real estate agent Elena Hubbell, neurosurgeon S. Michael Stavropoulos and businessman Joe Hooven. Former high school football coach Bob Dunivant was elected outright in the primary.