CHARTER CHANGE UNDER ATTACK AS VOTE NEARS.

Byline: Katie Cooper Staff Writer

BURBANK - A measure on Tuesday's ballot is drawing fire from some residents who argue it would give the city manager, a nonelected official, too much power over governmental affairs.

Measure 2 consists of a flurry of proposed amendments to the City Charter that would result in minor housecleaning changes.

But the changes, proposed by city staffers and endorsed by the City Council, also include provisions that would increase the power of the city manager to award contracts and appoint successors in his or her absence. City officials say the proposals are designed to update and streamline the language in the charter.

But some voters say the added authority of the city manager would come at the expense of the current and future city councils. And they charge the council with cavalierly signing away its rights under the city's constitution by placing the proposed amendments before voters without holding hearings on the suggested changes.

``The City Council says they are just simple, nothing changes that shouldn't concern the public at all,'' said former Councilman Ted McConkey, who, with other regular critics of Burbank government, is pushing for defeat of the measure. ``Well, I say the public should be concerned.''

One amendment would allow the city manager to award public works contracts up to $100,000 without council approval, up from the current benchmark of $30,000.

``That's just a tremendous amount of money,'' said Don Elsmore, a longtime Burbank resident and council observer.

City officials say increasing the amount would better reflect the value of the dollar and would be a more efficient way to process construction bids and contracts.

``Thirty thousand dollars used to be in sync with what things cost, '' said Assistant City Manager Mary J. Alvord. ``But we have had a lot of inflation.''

Elsmore and others are also raising concerns about another proposed amendment that would allow the city manager to appoint an interim successor in his or her absence, a power that currently lies with the council.

Officials say the proposal would reflect the current practice of the city, when, in most cases, the assistant city manager is designated as the top administrative official. The change would also better enable the city to respond to an emergency in the event both the city manager and assistant city manager are out of town.

In those cases, either the police chief or fire chief would be appointed the interim manager without having to convene a council meeting. ``If both of us are gone for the weekend, it wouldn't have to be taken to the council for someone to be in charge, say after an earthquake or hillside fire,'' Alvord said.

Another amendment would remove the requirement that a civil engineer serve as the head of the Public Works Department, a proposal that is also drawing criticism.

``I don't want some political hack or appointee to decide on whether roads or bridges should be built in this city,'' McConkey said.

Alvord said the change would be consistent with the practice in many other cities. Civil engineers would continue to work in an assistant capacity, she said.

``Sometimes a higher call is having a person with leadership and management skills,'' she said. ``And that's what we're thinking of here.''

To a lesser extent, McKonkey and others are calling for the defeat of Measure 1, which would increase the pay of City Council members from $881 a month to $925 a month, just under 5 percent.

They say the raise is not deserved.

But the council has not had a salary increase since 1997, and rather than pass a 5 percent cost-of-living increase it was entitled to under state law, the council agreed to place the measure before voters.

``I didn't run for the position for the money,'' said Councilman David Laurell. ``If the residents don't feel we deserve it, then that's my bosses' decision.''

Tuesday's election is expected to draw fewer voters than February's primary election, said City Clerk Judie Sarquiz. In February, 10,909 people voted, only about 20 percent of the local electorate.

While the city received requests for about 5,000 absentee ballots - the same number requested for February's election - voter participation usually declines in local elections when presidential or gubernatorial candidates are not on the ballot, she said.