Burbank Mayor Wants Limits Set on Spending for City Campaigns : Politics: Michael R. Hastings calls the record $1-million expenditure in the recent municipal election obscene.

Complaining that a record $1 million in campaign spending during the recent municipal election was an “obscene abuse of the political system,” Burbank Mayor Michael R. Hastings has called for limits on expenditures during local elections.

Hastings, who did not run in this year’s April election, said he was particularly angered by the spending of longtime political rival Mary Lou Howard, who listed $185,007 in expenses during her unsuccessful bid to win a fourth council term.

Howard lost out to incumbent Robert R. Bowne, who spent $73,640, and businessman George Battey, who spent $63,084, according to documents filed with the Burbank city clerk.

“To spend $185,000--what was the purpose of that kind of display?” Hastings said.

Hastings also criticized S. Michael Stavropoulos, who spent $38,502 in his unsuccessful campaign for a seat on the Burbank school board. Stavropoulos, who finished third out of four finalists for two seats on the board, could not be reached for comment.

“A million-dollar election, and it was in Burbank,” Hastings said. “That’s ridiculous. The YMCA needs a million dollars to expand their facility. What would that kind of money have done for our schools that are falling apart?”

According to campaign records, more than $1 million was spent on the City Council and school board races and on two controlled-growth initiatives, the most in city history.

Most of Hastings’ colleagues on the council said they too favored spending limits or would like to investigate such restrictions further.

“I would be all for it, and it should not have taken this long,” said Councilman Tim Murphy, who was Howard’s campaign manager.

Hastings has not offered a specific campaign-spending measure, but he wants the city attorney to review ordinances from municipalities that restrict campaign contributions.

Battey agreed with Hastings’ call for spending limits. “I don’t know how you could legislate or enforce it,” he said, “but the worst thing about running a campaign is asking for money.” Council members receive a monthly stipend of $803. School board members are paid $401 per month.

Howard said she also agreed with Hastings but that she was forced to amass a large campaign chest by her tough political opponents. “I know that spending that amount of money is obscene, and I would have liked to have put it to another use,” Howard said. “But when you have people who are trying to discredit you and your family, it’s important to try and get your message across.”

Howard said she felt she had to combat a deluge of mailers from developer groups in Burbank and from other cities that attacked her character and anti-development philosophy. Such groups should be included in any campaign-spending ordinance in the city, she said.

“If these kinds of limits are being put into place,” she added, “then we should also not allow outside committees to come into this town and try and control the community.”

However, Hastings said he felt that three major entertainment companies headquartered in Burbank were justified in spending almost $500,000 to defeat two initiatives that would have restricted their growth. The three studios--NBC, Warner Bros. and Disney--spent nearly 30 times more than citizens committees.

“The success of those measures would have crippled our economy,” Hastings said. He said the measures’ supporters, assisted by Howard, sent out erroneous information about the effects of the initiatives.

“Our educated electorate was being lambasted with flyers,” he said. “Luckily, they saw through it.”

A total of $544,692 was spent by the Burbank Media Industry Committee Against Measures A and B, a coalition of companies and residents opposed to the two measures.

Measure A would have put severe restrictions on commercial and residential development. Measure B was less restrictive than Measure A, but would have put height limits on commercial buildings. It called for development that is compatible with residential areas.

Two committees supporting the measures--Friends of the City of Burbank and Committee for Yes on Measure B--spent $16,045 in their campaign, the documents revealed.

Officials at Warner Bros. also kicked in significant amounts to the City Council race, contributing $2,500 to Bowne and $1,600 to Battey, the records showed.

Some campaign-spending laws have come under attack in the courts. Proposition 73, a statewide campaign contribution initiative, was struck down last year by a federal judge. The proposition, approved in the June, 1988, primary, restricted annual contributions to candidates to $1,000 from each person, $2,500 from small political committees and $5,000 from big committees or political parties.

1991 Burbank Campaign Costs Money spent on City Council race (primary and general elections): Mary Lou Howard: $185,007 Robert R. Bowne: $73,640 George Battey: $63,084 Thomas McCauley: $28,106 Money spent on school board race (primary and general elections): S. Michael Stavropoulos: $38,502 Joe Hooven: $8,583 Elena Hubbell: $8,291 William Abbey: $3,581