9 More Candidates Enter Fray : 17 Now in Glendale Council Race

The field of candidates for Glendale City Council swelled to 17 this week, setting the stage for what city officials believe is the most widely contested Glendale municipal election since the 1930s.

The roster of candidates more than doubled since Councilman John F. Day announced Jan. 9 that he will not run for a fourth term.

His decision drew out candidates reluctant to run against a full slate of incumbents for the three available City Council posts. Two incumbents whose terms are expiring, Councilwoman Ginger Bremberg and Mayor Carl Raggio, are seeking reelection.

“If Day were in the race, I wouldn’t be running,” said sound technician Dan Leimeter, 47, one of nine candidates to file since last Thursday.

“I don’t think I’d run against Day,” agreed publisher Richard Jutras, 49, who on Monday became the latest candidate to enter the race since the filing period opened Jan. 6.

Also joining the field were public relations executive Berdj Karapetian, 32; real estate broker Joe Ayvazi, 57; retired sheriff’s deputy P.E. (Ed) Dorris, 55; Glendale Police Officer Richard Navarro and landscape gardener Richard Seeley, 58.

The filing period for the April 4 election closes Jan. 26.

Paid Spokesman

Karapetian is the paid spokesman for the Glendale Fair Growth Coalition, a developer group that opposes the city’s moratorium on apartment construction. He is also the Western region chairman of the Armenian National Committee and a board member and spokesman for the committee’s Earthquake Relief Fund.

Jutras is a one-time chairman of the Glendale Chamber of Commerce and a former member of both the Planning Commission and the Board of Zoning Appeals. He also chairs a chamber ad-hoc committee that is evaluating the city’s proposed zoning changes to curb population density.

Leimeter, Seeley and Dorris are newcomers to city politics and community activities. Navarro could not be reached for comment.

Rounding out the field are eight candidates who filed for office earlier. They are Robin Westmiler, Shirley Yap Griffin, Vito Canella, Richard Diradourian, Doris Sink, Gary L. Siglar, Richard N. Matthews and Nida Solana Brown.

Day endorsed Brown Friday, praising her as a candidate with a “new voice, new mind and new ideas to break a trend towards ignoring the people.”

Voters on April 4 will also fill three positions on both the school and community college boards. All six incumbents in those two races have filed for reelection, and so far there are no challengers.

In other races, Kurt Jon Erikson became the third candidate to file for city clerk. Aileen B. Boyle, acting city clerk, and Jeri A. Browne are the other candidates.

Incumbent Elizabeth W. (Betty) Evans continues to be the sole candidate for city treasurer.