Study Urges Direct Mayoral Elections for Glendale

A consulting firm hired by Glendale business leaders to study the city election process said Wednesday that it found widespread voter discontent over current policies.

Pasadena-based Arroyo Associates, which analyzes government operations, policies and issues, said Glendale officials could erase some of this dissatisfaction without scrapping at-large elections in favor of creating special City Council districts. Instead, they could allow direct election of the mayor and limit council members to two terms.

“These two changes, if implemented, should address some of the concerns being expressed regarding the unresponsiveness of Glendale city government’s structure,” the report said. “If not, the issue of councilmanic districts will continue to be raised as one alternative in dealing with the problem.”

The study was financed by Glendale Partners, a public service group composed of 50 downtown Glendale corporate leaders and property owners. Vice Chairman John Lawson declined to say how much the consultant was paid.

The study was commissioned after the Coalition for Electoral Reform launched a petition drive last year aimed at creating five council districts to replace the current at-large elections.

Coalition leaders said the system, in which voters would only elect a council member living in their district, would bring political power to neighborhoods and minority groups they believe are now being neglected. The initiative failed earlier this month to gain enough signatures to qualify for the ballot, but coalition leaders have vowed to continue the campaign.

Supporters of the initiative have charged that areas such as south Glendale, where many less affluent and minority residents live, have little influence at City Hall. But Arroyo reviewed recent city election results and found that voting power was not concentrated solely in affluent central Glendale--the charge commonly made by those who favor council districts. The report said: “. . . no single district or area of the city constitutes a disproportionate share of the total votes cast citywide.”

Arroyo also said its survey of California cities found that district elections do not automatically increase minority representation.

The Arroyo study also said that district elections often lead to higher campaign costs, more conflict among council members, higher staffing expenses and distorted priorities because officials lack a citywide focus.

Arthur Segien, chairman of the district elections drive, said he was not surprised by the study’s results. He charged that the Glendale Partners have close ties to the current council, which opposes districts. “They’re part of the gang,” Segien said.

Arroyo’s random phone survey of 500 Glendale residents found that most are satisfied with the present at-large elections. But 77% said they would prefer to elect their mayor directly instead of rotating the role among the five council members. Most also favored limiting council members to two terms in office.

The study did determine that a disproportionate number of city commissioners and board members come from central Glendale. It said appointing more panel members from other areas could improve the council’s relationship with those neighborhoods.

But Mayor Larry Zarian on Wednesday said: “In seven years, whenever I have recommended or voted for a commissioner, I have never asked what their home address is. I’ve only been concerned about the qualifications.”