Murphy’s seat declared vacant

The City Council was poised to declare Stacey Murphy’s council seat

vacant Tuesday night, but by deadline had not set in motion a special

election to take place early next year.

Murphy’s resignation Aug. 30 after being charged with one felony

count of cocaine possession and one misdemeanor count of child

endangerment means the council will operate with only four members

until the vacancy is filled by voters.

The council is expected to order the special election at its Sept.

27 meeting, Assistant City Manager Mike Flad said.

“That is also when they are going to make re-appointments to the

boards and commissions Stacey used to be the liaison to,” Flad said.

Murphy, 47, resigned saying she did not want her legal troubles to

be a distraction to the council’s city business.

Murphy faces charges of cocaine possession and child endangerment

for allegedly having drugs and three handguns in the Burbank home

where she lives with her 12-year-old son. She has pleaded not guilty

to the charges and is scheduled to appear in Pasadena Superior Court

on Sept. 28.

Among the committees and boards that Murphy was the liaison to are

the Airport Sub-Committee, the Domestic Violence Task Force, the

Magnolia Park Citizens Advisory Committee, the Environmental

Oversight Committee and the Economic Alliance of the San Fernando

Valley.

The vacancy issue is part of the council’s consent agenda, which

is typically approved without any discussion by the council members.

from the consent agenda so the members could talk about it.

“There doesn’t seem to be much discussion when a council member

resigns,” Councilman Dave Golonski said. “It just makes sense to move

forward and fill that seat.”

Once the council orders the special election, it must take place

within 120 days.

Two residents have announced they will run for the seat, former

Councilman and Mayor Bill Wiggins, who currently serves on the

Burbank-GlendalePasadena Airport Authority commission; and Vahe

Hovanessian, a candidate in the 2003 and 2005 council races.

The most recent time the council operated with only four members

for an extended period of time was in 1994 when then-Councilman

George Battey was absent for 11 meetings due to health reasons.

Battey died in 2003.

Wiggins, who served on the council during that period, recalled

the council pulling together to reach agreements on city matters.

“If there was a disagreement on a minor agenda issue we would pull

it off,” Wiggins said. “But 90%, 95% of the time we made an effort to

build a consensus among the four of us.”

QUESTION

Who should replace Stacey Murphy on the City Council? Is a special

election the best way to go? E-mail your responses to

o7burbankleader @latimes.comf7; mail them to the Burbank Leader,

111 W. Wilson Ave., Glendale, CA 91203. Please spell your name and

include your address and phone number for verification purposes only.

* MARK MADLER covers City Hall and the courts. He may be reached

at (818) 637-3242 or by e-mail at mark.madlerlatimes.com.