HomeCity Government NewsFrutos to Retire From City Council

Frutos to Retire From City Council

First published in the June 25 print issue of the Burbank Leader.

City Councilman Bob Frutos announced this week that he will not run for reelection this year, signaling an end to nearly a decade of the leader’s tenure.
Frutos said in a letter to the editor to the Burbank Leader that he will finish out the end of his term in December. The move significantly opens up this year’s City Council election field to newcomers, as the terms of Mayor Jess Talamantes and Councilwoman Sharon Springer will also end in six months. Springer has announced her reelection bid, while Talamantes has not made any plans public.
Frutos, a former Los Angeles Police Department officer, joined the City Council in 2013 and was reelected in 2017, serving as mayor twice. He previously served on the Burbank Police Commission and the Burbank Charter Review Committee.
“I have discussed this with my wife, Laura, and, believe me, this was not [an] easy decision,” Frutos said in his letter. “However, it is one that I make with honor, satisfaction and pride, because I know I have served our community with [the] best interests of our residents as my only guide.”
During his time on the City Council, Frutos has often focused his efforts on balancing the city budget and expressing support for the fire and police departments.
He has also regularly opposed state housing laws intended to make it easier for developers to build residential units by limiting the number of sway cities such as Burbank have on the process.
In his letter, Frutos thanked residents for their support and his wife, a Citizens Business Bank executive, saying she “has been by my side and my rock throughout this nine-year journey.”
Though residents cannot pull nomination papers to run for city office until July 18, a few have already indicated they may run for City Council.
Besides incumbent Springer, three other people have filed forms establishing campaign contribution committees as of this week: Nicole Perez, a social worker and board of library trustees member; Christopher Rizzotti, a real estate agent and planning board member; and Tamala Takahashi, a business owner and infrastructure oversight board member.

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