GLENDALE — It’s two months before the filing deadline for municipal office and already the field of candidates has grown to eight, with several more on the fence.
Councilman Bob Yousefian confirmed Thursday that he would seek reelection, a month after he ended his brief run for city treasurer.
Vartan Gharpetian, who lost his seat as chairman of Design Review Board No. 1 last year over his founding role in a private property rights association, filed papers Friday to run for City Council.
And Bruce Philpott, a regular speaker at City Hall known for his unyielding criticism of the Fire Department, said Friday that he was taking a “real, strong, serious look” at entering the April election race.
All three men said they were motivated by the depressed economy and the effects it continues to have on the city — a campaign issue that has dominated the election season from the outset.
Revenues to the city, especially in terms of sales and property taxes, are anticipated to once again fall short of expenditures — a familiar story line for cities across the county as third-quarter budget reports start to offer bleak forecasts for next fiscal year.
“I’m going to tell them ‘I told you so,’” Yousefian said, referring to his last-minute protest vote of the city’s $750.3-million budget in June.
With Gharpetian and Yousefian officially in the race, the number of those who have either filed or declared their candidacy for City Council now stands at eight, including incumbents Ara Najarian and Frank Quintero.
Yousefian declared his candidacy for city treasurer in September, arguing that with Ron Borucki’s retirement, he was best suited to oversee the city’s investments in the volatile market.
But a month later, Borucki decided to sideline retirement and run for reelection, saying he felt compelled to keep a steady hand on the city’s $440-million portfolio. The announcement left Yousefian “standing still” as he reevaluated his position.
“Mentally, I had sort of disconnected from running for council,” Yousefian said.
The ambiguity of his candidacy early on, coupled with his colorful history on the dais, could make his third run for council the most challenging, but, he said, “every time you run, you always run as if you’re losing.”
