Recent controversy surrounding the conduct of Burbank’s current “mayor” Konstantine Anthony has sparked a public debate about the City’s mayoral selection process. Contrary to popular belief, the City’s Charter and Municipal Code do provide a mechanism for the Council to act in such situations. A recent text survey of 10,000 Burbankers conducted by the group Uprise shows that 88% of those surveyed are calling for reassignment of the position of “mayor” by the other Council members.
According to Article 4, Section 400 of Burbank’s City Charter, the mayor is not an elected position separate from the City Council. Rather, the Council appoints one of its own members to serve in the role. This means the Council has the straightforward option of holding a vote to reassign the mayoral position.
The suggestion of a recall election by one Council member has been criticized as misleading and unnecessary. “As the saying goes in the Navy where I served, it’s like ‘flicking the booger,'” said a local resident who has advocated for a change in the mayoral selection process for over two decades, calling for fairly compensated, full-time mayors.
Calls are growing for the other four Council members to demonstrate their integrity by voting to reassign the mayoral role. Zizette Mullins, a member with extensive experience, is being touted as an excellent choice for the position.
This situation has reignited the debate about transitioning to a system where mayors are directly elected by the public. Advocates argue that a full-time, properly compensated elected mayor would attract higher-caliber candidates, rather than those using the Council as a stepping stone for higher office, which Konstantine Anthony is being accused of doing. “He reminds people he is ‘Mayor of Burbank’ at every fundraiser and campaign event. Anthony is putting on a veneer of regret while he and his wife persistently harang people on social media sites and flame anyone who has a different view than them,” said a person familiar with the matter. A few residents claim that Anthony’s wife is also his campaign manager.
The current controversy underscores the need for a reevaluation of Burbank’s mayoral selection process.
(below: a Reddit posting where Konstantine Anthony appears to shame a local business owner for survival shopping in another city where sales taxes are lower than Burbank’s)
