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: Mike Van Gorder
Age: 40
Current job title: Senior Housing Policy Analyst for the State of California
Incumbent: No
Other political positions held: Three-term elected delegate for the California Democratic Party
City where you reside: Burbank
Campaign website or social media: vangorderforburbank.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.)
I believe that the solution should be rooted in progressive new revenue generation, sustainable economic development, improved budgetary efficiency, and strengthened resident services. As your City Councilmember, I will champion such revenue generation by pushing for commercial vacancy taxes and development incentives; I will build efficient, durable infrastructure to meet residents’ needs; I will strengthen the city’s Rainy Day fund; I will promote budget equity and invest in our vulnerable residents (our low-income residents, seniors, people with disabilities); I will encourage engaging in collaborative labor bargaining and will advocate for expansive labor protections; I will utilize smart forecasting to create long-term financial plans tailored to Burbank residents’ needs; and I will leverage both my existing network and build additional strong, durable networks with outside organizations to leverage resources and expertise where beneficial to Burbank.
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.)
As your City Councilmember, I will advocate for an open budgeting process, open procurement and contracting accountability, full financial disclosure (particularly around lobbying disclosure), stricter oversight, strengthened open records (FOIA-style) laws, and improved data standardization. I will also invest heavily in constituent service communications, with an emphasis on demystifying the governance process, and I’ll encourage participatory governance and improved public access and engagement (specifically via more frequent public meetings and hearings).
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.)
In addition to tackling our housing crisis, I will invest in our public transportation infrastructure and fight relentlessly to keep our neighborhoods safe from Flock cameras and ICE terror.
I will champion durable public infrastructure via smart planning. This includes giving the Bus Rapid Transit line its dedicated lane down Olive Avenue to create a meaningful regional public transit option, implementing the eight-year housing plan and earning us a Pro-Housing designation, adopting our Downtown Specific Plan and turning a dead mall into a pedestrian-scale walkable mixed-use neighborhood, and building out our tree canopies and bike network.
I will advocate for local Burbank PD to investigate federal immigration agents for misconduct, document findings, and refer cases for criminal prosecution under state law; I will champion the Chicago model of school campus ICE defense–utilizing rapid-response protocols and community-led safe transit trains–in Burbank schools; and I will coordinate with the faith community and other community leaders to deliver mutual aid to families impacted by ICE.
Finally, I will agendize the wholesale removal of Flock cameras from our city and put budgetary review procedures into place to prevent them or any other unscrupulous surveillance state tech from backdooring their way into our streets.
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.)
I’m the best candidate for Burbank City Council because I have the expertise, the grit, and the network to solve our city’s most pressing problems. We are in a housing crisis, and I am a nationally recognized housing policy expert. We are in a democratic crisis, and I’ve become the most high-profile unelected progressive in the city, from organizing with the Burbank Community Defense Network and standing up to ICE atrocities; as I’m going around door knocking, people are recognizing me. I have a massive groundswell of both grassroots and institutional support from people who trust me as a bridge builder and unapologetic bully fighter. I can do this job, and I can do it right.