City Clerk

Josh Kleinbaum When Steve Ropfogel was a child, his father, an ace salesman for Mandel's shoe stores, taught him four key components to making a sale: Always do what's right, never lie, give a fair price for the product, and take care of customer. "And isn't that what the city clerk does?" said Ropfogel, one of nine candidates running for Glendale city clerk. "The city clerk needs to be someone comfortable going on Armenian television telling them how to vote and what to do. The clerk needs to be able to speak in front of large groups and can't be a shy, introverted person."

In today's world, it's easy to be a conspiracy theorist. At least it is for me. Despite my belief that civic and government agencies are desperately trying to nickel and dime us all, I am not a paranoid individual. But I have been wary of Glendale parking enforcement, which I truly believe is nothing more than a profit center disguised as law enforcement. I developed this hypothesis after receiving a parking ticket in one of the public parking lots downtown. I deserved the ticket.

Josh Kleinbaum Between television commercials and speech coaches, campaigns for City Council, city clerk and city treasurer are beginning to get expensive. Candidates for City Council have raised more than $280,000 and spent more than $140,000 since Jan. 1, kicking off the race for four available seats in the April 5 municipal election. Candidates for the three city offices submitted campaign finance reports to the city this week. All reports had to be postmarked by Thursday.

What do you consider the role of the city clerk? My vision of the clerk's office is as the gatekeeper of open and honest city government. The office is the first one called when someone has a question regarding the city and does not know where to start looking. I think that the four most important duties of the city clerk are as follows: 1. Elections: making voter registration more accessible and educating residents about the importance of voting.

Landrigan to run for city clerk GLENDALE CITY HALL -- The first competitive city clerk race in 75 years is beginning to get crowded. Stephanie Landrigan, a landscape architect and environmental activist, announced Tuesday that she will seek the position in the April municipal election. Landrigan is the fourth candidate to run for clerk, joining Ardashes Kassakhian, Lorna Vartanian and Steve Ropfogel. "Being in an elected position is something I've thought about for a while," Landrigan said.

At the Montrose Verdugo Chamber of Commerce candidate forum, I was disappointed that my opponent, Stephanie Landregan, concluded her remarks with irresponsible and blatantly false statements. Landregan rescinded her comments the very next day, telling the Glendale News-Press that she “misspoke at the forum.” While I am pleased that Landregan rescinded her comments, I am disappointed that she would resort to making uninformed public statements based on misinformation in an effort to bolster her candidacy.

On April 2 Glendalians will vote on Measure B. I've argued the measure legalizes the city's current practice whereby, in violation of its charter, it annually transfers $21 million of electrical receipts to the general budget fund; and, at the same time it claims the electric infrastructure is in dire need of repairs but there is no money for them without a rate increase. That's why, as mandated by Municipal Code 1.08.060, I filed a request with the city clerk to write Measure B's opposition argument.

Robert Chacon The city attorney's office is looking into allegations that city clerk candidate Paulette Mardikian illegally used the city seal on campaign fliers sent to residents. The city seal appears on Mardikian's flier -- which includes photos of her with Sheriff Lee Baca and her husband, Glendale Police Sgt. Vahak Mardikian -- next to a quote that highlights her role as recording secretary for the Glendale Building and Fire Board of Appeals Commission.

Josh Kleinbaum City clerk candidate Paulette Mardikian did not violate city code by using the city seal in a campaign mailer, City Atty. Scott Howard said in a letter sent to her campaign, vindicating the candidate one week before the city's April 5 election. City code prohibits the use of the city seal only if it is used for commercial purposes or with malicious intent. Mardikian included the city seal on a campaign mailer sent to Glendale residents earlier this month, but Howard could find no proof that the seal was used for commercial purposes or with malicious intent.

Hospital seeking senior counselors Glendale Memorial Hospital and Health Center is seeking volunteers for its Senior Peer Counseling training program. Peer counselors must be about 50 or older and be interested in helping seniors cope with life challenges such as depression, loss and relationship problems. Counselors will learn active listening, mental health education and counseling skills. The training program begins Sept. 11 and will continue every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon for 12 weeks at Glendale Memorial Hospital's Eulalia Medical Pavilion, 222 W. Eulalia St., Suite 214, Glendale.