Ahead of the November general election, the Southern California News Group compiled a list of questions to pose to the candidates who wish to represent you. You can find the full questionnaire below.
Name: Chris Yoosefi
Age: 46
Current job title: Small Business Owner
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: None
City where you reside: Burbank
Campaign website or social media: yoosefiserves.com
How should the city balance rising costs, paying off debts, such as pension liabilities, and building reserves, all while meeting residents’ needs? Should a solution involve finding new revenue, economic development, trimming the budget, or something else entirely? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
One of my main campaign promises is to review the budget and cut unnecessary spending, i.e., $700,000 for a consultant for the Starlight Bowl and $2.5M million for an architect. Why are we spending such high dollars when we have fully capable unions that create worlds for a living and can do it for less? I know because I’ve asked.
For cash flow, I will incentivize local commercial landlords and businesses from ours and other Chambers of Commerce to rent our 22.5% vacant spaces. This percentage is unsatisfactory, and money is being left on the table. We can do better and bring in revenue AND create jobs while paying off debt and building reserves. I will also trash the current “paint job” plan and revamp the Starlight Bowl, making it an entertainment hub.
From my conversations with residents, most do not spend their money here. We have no high-end entertainment, no fancy shopping, no name recognition at our venues and our high-end restaurants are limited. I will bring business, revenue and excitement to our city. Lastly, I will invest in marketing to promote beyond social media.
Burbank is the media capital of the world, and we need to act like it.
The public expects transparency from public leaders in spending and governance. How can this be achieved? How can the city do better in this area? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
I will build Burbank’s first fully transparent city database to keep our residents informed, city workers accountable and politicians honest. Further, I will add budgeting details to the program, citing which contractors we are paying, how much, and the frequency, among other details. I will make the database searchable and granular, so residents and the city can stay informed, and I will make it FREE and prominent on the city website.
Spending is something I will aggressively tackle. Burbank has a $1 billion budget, and yet we are operating in a deficit. Why? Where are these funds going, and to what programs? Why do youth sports have to pay to rent the field? Why are we paying millions for architects outside Burbank when we have unions that can do the work? Why are our utility bills increasing? Why are we using outside companies for tree trimming when we have the equipment sitting idle? Why are we buying non-operating businesses when we could be fixing infrastructure and investing in our community? Why are our police and fire in constant need of funding for staff?
The hiding and lying has to stop. We need transparency, and I will provide it.
In your opinion, what is the biggest need your city faces, and how would you address it? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Infrastructure! Not just utilities, but entertainment, jobs, connection, and communication. The city is a web of connection, and while the surface seems in order, our utility bills are increasing (thank your current council), some of our water pipes are 100+ years old and ready to burst, our residents are ill-informed or not informed at all about events, which causes a breakdown in our community fabric, and we have no centralized way to promote or offer jobs.
I have a plan for all these issues, but the most pressing is our jobs infrastructure, which is why I will create the Burbank Jobs First plan. I will incentivize Burbank businesses to hire locally and create a FREE directory for seekers and offerors to post and respond to listings. Burbank needs to take care of its own, and jobs is such a high-priority item. I am the only candidate with a realistic, robust and executable plan to bring jobs back to Burbank, take care of our unions, increase spend locally and incentivize businesses for hiring Burbank direct. When employees and employers win, the city wins. When the city wins, we can fix our infrastructure. The people must come first!
Why would you make a good leader, and how would you represent the diverse communities of your city? (Please limit your answer to 200 words or less.)
Our city is so polarized with left ideals or right tactics; it’s painful. I am the only candidate who considers both sides of the equation. I am not a one-issue candidate and will not placate a side or base. I will represent the voices of all Burbankers and provide a seat at the table for all groups to bring their issues to the forefront (something our current council does not do and, in fact, has refused to certain groups).
As a husband, veteran and small business owner, I understand the value of intelligence. I understand that decisions need to be made with facts, not feelings. I understand that my decisions will affect unintended groups, and as your leader, I must weigh those outcomes for the betterment of our city. These skills and many more are not something that can be taught, but must be experienced.
I am that leader.
We are a purple society, and we all live in the gray. We need leadership that will reflect those values and that reality. I will never lie to you and will always stay grounded in reality.
Vote Chris Yoosefi for Burbank City Council.