PAIR FACE OFF FOR BURBANK COUNCIL JOB; EDITOR CHALLENGES MCCONKEY IN RUNOFF.

Byline: Lee Condon Daily News Staff Writer

Burbank voters will head to the polls April 13 to choose between Councilman Ted McConkey, 69, and challenger David Laurell, a 41-year-old magazine editor.

Laurell is turning out to be more of the insider than his incumbent opponent in the runoff election. He's endorsed by all the other four members of the council, and his chief complaint against McConkey is the incumbent's combative style.

``He stirs the cauldron for the sake of stirring the cauldron,'' Laurell said of his opponent. ``He's not a good, positive force for the city of Burbank.''

Long a warrior against the expansion of Burbank Airport, McConkey once insulted airport officials during a mediation session by suggesting they were the type of people who eat their children, Laurell said. He called it an example of how McConkey's behavior can be damaging to the city's official business.

``If you can't sit down and be a rational and reasonable person, you don't belong there,'' Laurell said. ``Ted is a major part of why the (airport) problem still exists. Ted has to go.''

Fighting to keep his job, McConkey says he's the only independent voice left on the Burbank City Council.

McConkey and Laurell were forced into a runoff as a result of the Feb. 23 primary election. City Councilman Bob Kramer won re-election outright, taking one of the two seats by winning more than 50 percent of the vote. Laurell, who received 39.9 percent of the vote, and McConkey, who received 37.6 percent, were the next two top vote-getters.

There are no other races on the April 13 ballot.

Personality has turned out to be the major issue in the runoff campaign, since Laurell acknowledges he and McConkey tend to agree on the issues - although McConkey insists he would push for tighter limits on airport growth.

Elected in 1995 on a wave of anti-airport sentiment, McConkey admits he's confrontational but says that's what it takes to do his job.

``I'm kind of the court of last resort for the people getting jerked around by city staff or who can't get any attention from the other council members,'' McConkey said. ``I may be rough around the edges and rattle some cages, but I feel passionately about the issues.''

McConkey said his council colleagues want Laurell in the job because they are tired of the way McConkey questions the recommendations of staff.

``I'm the one who has objected the most to them rubber-stamping staff decisions,'' McConkey said. ``Laurell is nice, but how effective is he going to be if he just votes along with them?''

As for that comment about airport commissioners eating their young, McConkey said he has no regrets.

``These are the same people who have thumbed their noses at Burbank for years,'' McConkey said.

Councilwoman Stacey Murphy said she is actively campaigning for Laurell because McConkey has made council meetings difficult by insulting staff and his council colleagues.

``It's gotten progressively worse. Ted sees this as a war now,'' Murphy said. ``We should all be able to treat each other with respect.''

While McConkey may stand by the comment he made about airport commissioners eating their young, Murphy said such behavior is not appropriate in sensitive negotiations.

``That quote still comes back to haunt us,'' Murphy said. ``Ted has certainly said some things about the airport that have caused more bad blood between the city and the airport.''

Ron Vanderford, a local airport activist, said he's sticking with McConkey on Election Day.

``Weighing both sides, I'll take Ted with his less-than-charming personality because he does all his homework. He's second to none on that council,'' said Vanderford, an activist against airport expansion.

Vanderford said the Burbank City Council is under intense pressure to forge a solution on the airport expansion impasse.

``Ted will be the last person to crumble under that pressure, and he will raise so much Cain if someone else tried to crumble,'' Vanderford said.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

PHOTO (1) DAVID LAURELL

Age - 41

Personal - Married

Professional - Magazine editor

Education - Attended New York University 

Political Experience - Burbank parks commissioner

(2) TED McCONKEY

Age - 69

Personal - Married

Professional - Retired aerospace technical writer

Education - Attended Michigan State College

Political Experience - Burbank councilman since 1995