City Council Election 2020
The Glendale Coalition for Better Government endorses:
Why does the Glendale C.B.G. endorse these candidates?
The Glendale Coalition for Better Government is concerned that the Glendale City Government be transparent, responsive, and accountable. That must start with the City Council…the peoples’ elected representatives who direct and set the tone for the City.
Between 2-22 and 3-3, 2020, the citizens of Glendale will be voting to fill three vacant City Council seats. There are eight candidates who have qualified to be on the ballot.
In November and December of last year, the Board of Directors for the Coalition held individual interviews with seven of those candidates (due to time constrains one candidate was not interviewed). Our purpose was to ask relevant questions and to see how well the candidates responded. We also wanted to see who of the candidates shared our values and goals for Glendale.
All the candidates were asked the same seven questions (with a bonus question for the incumbents*), and the interviews were video recorded for later reference. The questions were as follows:
- What have you done to prepare yourself to be a Council Member?
What are the issues you are most concerned about? Name two.
What do hope to accomplish?
- There are three Council seats open for election. Assuming you are elected, who of the declared candidates would you like to see elected to the other two seats?
Who do you think share your values and goals? Who could you work with?
- Name two issues you feel the Council handled poorly in the past.
Name two issues you feel the Council handled well and were a benefit to the Citizens of Glendale.
- What are two of the major issues the City is facing in regard to the annual budget?
- Who do you think actually runs the City?
Please comment on the City Manager, Staff, Lobbyists, Special Interests, the Citizens. How do you see yourself interacting?
- In the event that budget cuts are necessary, which departments in the City would you cut first?
What three departments’ budgets would you list as first to cut?
What three departments’ budgets would you list to cut last?
- In the remaining two minutes, is there anything we failed to ask and that you would like us to know about you and/or your values and goals?
*Extra Credit for Incumbents (Devine & Gharpetian):
If elected again, what would you do differently this time on Council?
Once the interviews were all completed, the Board Members evaluated the candidates based on the interviews, the candidate’s public record, and personal contacts the Board Members had with them.
The unanimous decision was to endorse and support the following three candidates:
Paula Devine – Current Councilwoman, Retired Educator
Ardy Kassakhian – Glendale Elected City Clerk, College Professor
Susan Wolfson – Municipal Finance CPA, Degree Environmental Health
We encourage voters to vote for all three as a “Team”. One or two alone can’t direct the City Council vote…three on the Citizens’ side can!!
The interviews can be seen as 20-25 minutes videos on YouTube: “ Samuel1941 ”
