A year later, Burbank’s passport program has contributed more than $140,000 to its General Fund
City of Burbank passport agent Megan Anghel, left, administers an oath to Burbank resident Anna Krestyn during the passport application process in this file photo taken on Oct. 8, 2015.
The Burbank City Clerk’s office contributed about $140,277 to the city’s General Fund through its new passport program, which started a little more than a year ago.
City Clerk Zizette Mullins told council members during a meeting last week that her office processed 6,521 passports — 5,706 new applicants and 815 renewals — between October 2015 and this past October. Her staff also took 3,503 passport photos during that time.
The program was sluggish during its first month of operation, when there were only eight passport renewals and 94 new passports. Fast forward to last month, when the City Clerk’s office processed 81 renewals and 486 new passports.
Mullins noted that there were 739 new passports processed in June when her office generated $23,215 for the General Fund before expenses.
“As you can see, the program has increased in intakes,” Mullins said.
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Burbank City Clerk Zizette Mullins, left, and passport agent Megan Anghel show a specialized printer used to print passport photos in this file photo taken on Oct. 8, 2015.
The cost of running the program for the year was about $44,469 for two trainees, one part-time employee and supplies.
The City Clerk’s office conducted a voluntary survey for every applicant they processed and learned that the majority of people who answered the survey found out about the passport program through an online search or going on the city’s website.
Mullins added that more than half of the people from the survey that used Burbank’s passport program did not live in the city and that about 70% of the people do not work in the city.
Out of the people surveyed, 828 people said they live in Burbank and only 109 said they both live and work in the city.
“We get individuals who live as far as Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Ventura,” Mullins said.
She added that the office has seen various celebrities, including actor Will Ferrell, getting their passports renewed.
Councilman David Gordon said that he was not surprised with the program’s results, adding that he has heard nothing but compliments about the program.
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Anthony Clark Carpio, anthonyclark.carpio@latimes.com
Twitter: @acocarpio
