First published in the April 2 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
This summer, candidates for Burbank leadership positions will announce their intent to run in the November election, with a total of seven elected seats potentially up for contention.
Burbank voters will decide who wins three City Council positions — currently held by Mayor Jess Talamantes and members Sharon Springer and Bob Frutos — as well as their next city clerk and city treasurer.
Additionally, the Burbank Unified School District Board of Education has two seats up for election, those currently held by board President Charlene Tabet and member Steve Frintner. All newly elected officials will hold their positions until the end of 2026.
Springer and Tabet confirmed to the Leader that they plan to run for reelection this year. Frutos and Frintner said they have not decided whether to enter the race, while Talamantes did not respond to requests for comment.
To qualify for the municipal elections, a candidate must have been an adult Burbank resident for at least 29 days prior to filing nomination papers and be registered to vote in Burbank at the time of their nomination. The resident must also obtain between 50 and 100 valid voters’ signatures, and submit them to the City Clerk’s Office.
Additionally, potential candidates must submit a number of forms — which are available on the City Clerk’s Office website — stating their intention to run and whether they believe they will receive or spend $2,000 or more on their campaigns. Residents cannot begin raising and spending money for a political campaign until May 8, prior to the date nomination papers become available, July 18.
Those papers are available from the City Clerk’s Office until Aug. 12. To schedule an appointment to pull the papers, a potential candidate can contact the office at (818) 238-5851 or via email at cityclerks@burbankca.gov.
Filing nomination papers cost $25 and can be paid by cash or check. Each candidate can also submit a statement of no more than 200 words along with the papers, though the City Council has not determined the cost for that process.
Detailed school board election information was not available this week, though since BUSD’s elections, like the city’s, are consolidated with Los Angeles County’s procedures, the nomination deadlines will be the same.
Those with election-related questions can contact the L.A. County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk’s Office at voterinfo@rrcc.lacounty.gov.
Neither the municipal nor the school race involves a June primary election. The general election is on Nov. 8.
The current salary for each City Council member is $1,483 a month, not including benefits. The city website lists the city clerk salary at about $14,103 a month, while the city treasurer’s monthly pay is $14,436. BUSD board members receive a monthly stipend of $507.
