At a Glance:

Age: 47
Occupation: Small Business Owner, Real Estate Broker
Political affiliation: Republican
Education:
University of LaVerne -- Bachelor’s degree in Business Admin. with a Management/Marketing Emphasis
John Burroughs High School
Luther Burbank Middle School
Roosevelt Elementary

Online Resources
Campaign Website
Facebook page
christopher@rizzottiforburbank.com

Questionnaire:

Have you run for office previously?

No
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Why are you running?

I believe I will be the best candidate with the most relevant experience. I have held many positions in leadership, with a proven track record of success & service. Currently I’m the vice chair of the planning board. I have publicly voted on projects that affect our city. I have been fortunate to live in Burbank my entire life, in fact I have lived in every residential Zip Code in Burbank. As a small business owner, Real Estate Broker, I understand budgets, marketing and thinking outside the box
.
What is the most important issue facing the city?
We need to balance our small town feel with the fiscal challenges of today, meet sustainability requirements and provide the same excellent services our residents depend on. Business retention and business development should be a priority, without sacrificing our small town feel. Keep longtime good business here and reach out to companies looking to relocate to Burbank. My track record of focus, balance, land-use issues and being a small business owner will be key components to solving these issues.
Name a recent issue or policy the current City Council has decided that you agree with. Why?
Hiring of our City Manager. In these competitive times it is hard to find a seasoned veteran who has a successful background in balancing a city. His history is long and well-respected. Other cities have struggled to find candidates to fill the retiring vacancies because the pool of candidates is so thin. Name a recent issue or policy the current City Council has decided that you disagree with. Why?
I think the 58 acre site is extremely important to our city for the next 25 to 50 years from a tax-base perspective. The fact exists that the city could lose the window of opportunity to carefully rebuild the airport terminal for safety & modern amenities. Our council should be fully engaged in this process and explore beyond our borders potential uses and users for this property to see where the business interests lie. I believe with my experience I can bring a strong perspective to this process.

What is the best thing about how the current city government is run?

One of the best things about how our city government is run is the process. Giving residents, stakeholders and our City Council leaders a voice in that process so everyone has a chance to collectively add input to the important decisions made that will affect all of us. I feel lucky to be part of this process as Vice Chair of the Planning Board. Listening to our staff, our residents and fellow Planning Board Members has given me valuable experience in this process and how our government is run. What is the worst thing about how the current city government is run?
In the business world, people like to do business with people they know & trust, its about relationships. I think our council needs to have better relationships with all of our employee groups. The first time a meeting occurs should never be at the negotiating table. There should be a relationship already established so that each party understands the needs of the other. This is where I believe I’m strongest, relationships, relationship building and good communication. Is the city doing enough to be transparent about its negotiations with the airport regarding the replacement terminal and/or the so-called “opportunity site?” What, if anything, could be done better?
Protections to our residents is paramount and those negotiations may need to happen in closed session. Information gathering is key and you cant rely on staff as the only source. The community must be part of the process, the stakeholders, the airport must be part of the process. Formal and informal discussions must be prevalent with the electorate and the business community. We need a studied pathway to a successful outcome. Having been in leadership positions before, this is the path I would take.

When City Manager Mark Scott was hired in 2013, his salary was more than the city managers of Glendale and Pasadena, as well as the mayor of Los Angeles. Has he earned it?

The public was not part of the process when the city manager was hired. We don’t know who the other candidates were or competing salaries. A search firm was hired to guide the Council in this process. We don’t know the goals and objectives council has outlined for the city manager. Our city manager has been on the job a very short time to pass judgment of performance. Service to our residents is most important (police, fire, senior services, public works). We have not seen a drop in service.

In light of the legal issues the city has been involved in, including the water transfer suit, is City Attorney Amy Albano providing the council sound legal advice? Why or why not?

I can tell you from having experience in Leadership positions that the general public does not always have all the information that the decision makers have, for many reasons, mostly legal. I don’t feel its right to pass judgment on those in leadership without personally being in the position to have all the facts. Only our City Council members have all the facts. Our City Attorney makes recommendations to council and takes direction from our City Council who makes the ultimate decisions.

Open Response:

Thank you to the Leader for allowing each of us to respond to questions. As a lifelong resident of our city, I believe it’s fundamental to have on council a member who brings business experience and acumen to the table. My track record reflects not only relevant experience, but also success and service in leadership positions. As Vice Chair of the Planning Board I have voted on significant projects that impact our city. As a small business owner I have received the United States Small Business Administration Award for Outstanding Contribution to the small business community. I have also served on and led numerous boards and commissions.

In the business world, it’s all about relationships. People do business with people they know and trust. My goal is to reestablish relationships and trust with our labor unions and with key players in the business community. Our first meeting should never be at the negotiating table or when business entities are forced to leave our city. Rather, we should have an ongoing dialogue where all sides understand the other points of view. This requires hard work and I pledge to you that nobody will work harder or longer than I will to make it happen, I will also work to maintain the Burbank standard we have all grown accustomed to. We should never be forced to cut back on the city services we are known for. That is playing budgetary defense when instead we should be playing offense through opportunity and vision. The fiscal challenges of today require us to balance our small town feel with new business in order to deliver the first-class services residents depend on.

Having lived in every residential zip code in Burbank, being an accomplished small business owner and active member of our community in both civic and philanthropic engagement, and being a roll up your sleeves hard worker who will be organized and prepared for every meeting, I’m asking you to vote for Chris Rizzotti for a better Burbank.

Public Records & Legal Information:

Lawsuit: Orlando Montiel v. Christopher Rizzotti - Los Angeles Superior Court - BC522742
Filed: Sept. 26, 2013
Case Type: State Civil
Status: Settled
Summary: Montiel, a cable technician for Charter Communications, sued after he was bitten by Higgins, a Portuguese Water Dog owned by Shelley and Christopher Rizzotti. The Rizzottis countersued Montiel and Charter, claiming the technician entered the backyard area without permission, startling the dog, which “nipped” him.

The Rizzottis, who touted their involvement with animal rescue groups in the court documents, claim that Montiel’s suit caused their insurance company to drop their policy. This, in turn, they claim kept them from being able to foster pets from so-called “kill” shelters.

“As a result, animals that could have been saved will die,” the countersuit states.

The sides settled the case for an undisclosed sum.

Candidate Response: None received.

Endorsements:

Burbank Police Officers Association
Burbank Firefighters Local 778
Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale)
Burbank Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 761
Jef Vander Borght - Former Mayor of Burbank
Emily Gabel Luddy - Burbank City Council, Past Mayor
Jess Talamantes - Burbank City Council, Past Mayor
Dan Remy - Former Mayor of Burbank
Marsha Ramos - Former Mayor of Burbank
Michael Hasting - Former Mayor of Burbank
Robert Bowne - Former Mayor of Burbank
Elena Hubbell - Three Time School Board President
Dave Kemp - Burbank School Board
Charlene Tabet- Burbank School Board
Mary Alvord - Former Burbank City Manager
Sue Georgino - Former City of Burbank Community Development Director
Burbank Association of Realtors
Independent Brokers and Insurance Agents of Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena
Alan Arzoian Business Owner - Handy Market
Chuck Herron - Retired Burbank Water & Power
Darrell Taylor
Don Baldaseroni
Doug Drake - City of Burbank Planning Board
Dr. Martin Small - Veterinarian
Glendale Association of Realtors
Jay Geisenheimer Rancho Review Board
Ken & Leslie Smith
Ken San Miguel - City of Burbank Planning Board
Kimberly Joe - City of Burbank Planning Board
Linda Barnes - Burbank Traffic Commission
Linda Walmsley
Mary Jane Strickland
Michael Gitomer
Paul Clairville Pastor
Ray Adams
Schafer Electric - Burbank
Suzanne Weerts
Terre Hirsch
Terry and Pam Scott
Tim Keenan - Former Mayor City of Cypress
Undine Petrulis - City of Burbank Planning Board Chair
Wade Mikles - Pastor
William M. Margolin - Former Superior Court Judge Candidate
BizFed PAC

*Current elected officials are in bold

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