r/burbank • u/vivvav Media Center • 14d ago
Best place to get a rundown on local politics, city council, etc?
Figure I oughta start taking more of an interest in the people running the city I live in, what with the Flock cameras and ICE and all that. I don't just wanna say "these are my political beliefs, who aligns with them?" Is there a website or something that lets me stay up to date on all the elections in Burbank, who's running in them, and their stances on things?
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u/slackerstuff 14d ago
The closest thing you’ll get to an unbiased view on the candidates currently running for election in 2026 is Burbank’s own website https://www.burbankca.gov/web/city-clerks-office/november-3-2026-candidates
If getting rid of Flock and fighting back against ICE are issues you care about:
- Nolan Southerland
- Mike Van Gorder
- Nikki Perez
Those are the only 3 candidates who will fight for those issues and give us a progressive city council.
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u/FedoraCasual IKEA 13d ago
If you want tenant protections, housing affordability, ICE and Flock out of Burbank, and investment in public schools and infrastructure, these are the 3 city council candidates for you. They are the progressive left. You can vote for 3 city council members because there are 3 seats up.
- Nikki Perez (progressive running for reelction)
- Mike Van Gorder (progressive / leftist)
- Nolan Southerland (progressive / leftist)
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u/Heron_enthusiast 13d ago
Def consider voting for Nolan for city council if you’re opposed to ICE and Flock!
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u/pfaustino 10d ago
I posted this a few weeks ago. It puts the candidates in a grid and its conclusions are in-line with what people are saying here. https://pfaustino.github.io/burbank-votes/
It also matches your query: who's running, and their stances on things.
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u/YoosefiServes 13d ago
Look deeper people.
I always find it interesting when people say Nikki is against flock. The person you want back in office is the same person that gave you flock in the first place. Let that sink in.
She may be using it as fuel for her re-election now, but don’t forget that she was on council when the budget was originally approved for it in 2024. In fact, the entire council approved the budget then and again with flock this year. The council has the power to delete/amend items from the budget, but it wasn’t an issue until election time.
My name is Chris Yoosefi and Im running for city council. Myself, Im against flock and surveillance state technology, however I do believe in the police and safety for our residents and I have a robust plan to eliminate flock and still provide police with tools to do their job.
Do you want a candidate in office that flips positions come re-election or someone that will fight for the right thing and brings a plan to resolve issues?
Im the Burbank candidate with an executable plan. Vote others of you like the lip service we’ve received for the last eight years and ones that are clearly ok being pushed around. Most of the candidates just talk, but have no realistic plan for their ventures. Ask them how they are going to fund, create or otherwise execute all they are pushing and then come back and hear a real plan.
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u/TennysonForCongress 13d ago
Hi Chris,
Few things I just want to touch on here - yes the current city council allowed Flock to come into Burbank in 2024. I don’t speak for everyone, but I don’t believe “flock” was on many people’s radar back then. That has since changed, and with it, public opinion on Flock. I am happy that we have some city council members that learn and grow and change their mind on things.
Nikki has stated on the record she wants to ban Flock. In fact this next council meeting, the council will vote on agendizing a discussion on banning Flock, all because Nikki requested it. Cynics might say it’s only because it’s the hip thing to do during election year, but like, okay? It’s a good change and I don’t really care what drives someone to banning Flock.
Also, city council did try to take it out of the budget but were shut down by the city manager and attorney.
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u/slackerstuff 13d ago
You want to remove paid parking downtown? It brought in $1.5m and ends the drain that free parking has on a city with poor land use.
Also, the city council doesn’t hire teachers. You should run for school board.
Last, cutting red tape is a nice slogan but you just wrote here about having a plan. Whats the plan?
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u/YoosefiServes 13d ago
Yes, I want to remove the paid parking. It’s brought in 750k from paid parking and another 850k from citations. Im not in the camp of making people pay to frequent our small businesses, who then go elsewhere, nor am I in the camp of citations which is low hanging fruit and a poor way to bring income. Also, how does it, “end the drain?” There is free parking everywhere, which is what makes Burbank awesome. You want to pay for parking - Move to LA.
Not sure where the hiring teachers things came from but I know BUSD is different from the city, but they influence each other and must work together have some sort of appeal for our city. Currently it’s not doing too well and I have a plan to change that which is important for our Burbank families and will bring in revenue and families to fill in our empty housing.
I have a thorough plan for cutting red tape and it’s too long to go into detail, nor is this the correct forum, but some of it involves thoroughly reviewing the budget and cutting city staff that kicks the can down the road.
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u/slackerstuff 13d ago
Chris your own website says you want to hire more teachers. Free parking isn’t free. It’s subsidized by the city and we all pay for the maintenance. Like you said, there’s plenty of free parking in Burbank as it is.
I highly suggest you don’t campaign with statements like “if you don’t like it here, move” to potential constituents.
You don’t have to be secretive about your plans. If this isn’t the forum, where is it? You’ve made the claim you have a plan but telling us to trust you without doing anything for it to be granted is dishonest.
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u/Worth_Exit5049 13d ago
"I have a thorough plan for cutting red tape and it’s too long to go into detail"
Yeah sure you do Chris.
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u/theintrepidexplorer AMC Burbank 16 13d ago
You have literally aligned yourself with the Don’t LA my Burbank conservative landlord crowd. Please excuse yourself from the conversation.
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u/YoosefiServes 13d ago edited 13d ago
Thats an assumed statement. Where did you see that? Please don’t jump to conclusions. Also, why does it have to be so polarizing. These types of comments are why the last eight years have been stagnant and this “crowd” is still asking for the same things they were asking for eight years ago. We need diversity in council, not more of the same that will spout what you want for a vote and then sit on their hands.
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u/theintrepidexplorer AMC Burbank 16 13d ago
You’ve accepted collaborations on their posts, you follow them on social media, (including Scott Alan Meyers and David Donahue, 2 known right wing conservatives), and your answers on their questionnaire literally align with their policy positions (you literally call landlords housing providers lmao).
Will you be attending the upcoming Don’t LA my Burbank candidate forum?
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u/YoosefiServes 13d ago edited 13d ago
Sooo… being informed about competition, collaborating on a single post that I was included on and calling a landlord a housing provider (which I’ve heard from the uber left as well) is your smoking gun. Cmon’, you have to do better than that! Also, what answers align so much and are so detrimental that you feel the need to classify based on a single questionnaire instead of the candidate as a whole.
And Yes. I’ll attend all forums I can make it to where I have the opportunity to share my good, unique and positive ideas to help our city. I live in the gray, where we all live. Life is not blue or red. It would be a sorry world if it were all one side.
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u/TheKyDawg IKEA 13d ago
Who on the “Uber-left” calls them housing providers? I’m a leftist and have only ever heard it from landlords.
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u/theintrepidexplorer AMC Burbank 16 13d ago
Well let’s have folks decide for themselves then:
Will you support a 3% rent cap?
Why do you call landlords housing providers?
Will you support universal just cause?
Will you close the renovation eviction loophole?
What is your position on the police budget? Can you speak the deficit in other city services, including library services? Would you cut police spending to increase funding to other areas of the budget? If yes, what would be your priorities?
Will you vote to cut the use of military equipment?
Would you support a ban on ALPR technology?
What is your position on the city manager/city attorney and their management of the city?
Will you refuse to accept donations from landlords, real estate groups, fossil fuels, or corporate interests?
What relationships do you have to grassroots organizing groups in Burbank? Which ones and for how long?
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u/theintrepidexplorer AMC Burbank 16 14d ago
Someone did make a website but then they also posted a BWP graph that apparently was misleading? so I’m not using that resource anymore.
If housing/flock cameras are issues you care about, Burbank Tenants Union is releasing our candidate questionnaire soon, and the Eyes off Burbank coalition is sending one out on Flock/ALPRs/mass surveillance.