Ronnie Gharibian says Glendale needs common sense housing, stronger revenue and safer streets
In an Inclusive Voices Media interview, Gharibian said Glendale should study housing sites carefully, protect police and fire funding and review city contracts before asking residents for more taxes
Ronnie Gharibian says Glendale needs housing.
But he says the city should not rush into projects simply to satisfy the state.
In an interview conducted by Inclusive Voices Media’s Silva Harapetian, the Glendale City Council candidate said the city should use “common sense logic” as it responds to state housing mandates, budget pressure and growing concerns over traffic safety.
“Housing is not necessarily it’s needed now,” Gharibian said. “We always need housing. Shelter is one of the most important issues that humans, we have.”
Gharibian is running for Glendale City Council. In the interview, he directed voters to RonnieForGlendale.com for more information about his campaign. His campaign message, as presented in the interview, centers on careful planning, public safety, budget review, new revenue and practical solutions for traffic and housing.
Gharibian said California’s housing pressure comes from a broader shortage, not just a Glendale problem. He said low interest rates during the pandemic, fewer people selling homes and growing rental needs all play a role.
But he said Glendale still needs to decide where housing belongs.
“We have to use common sense logic,” Gharibian said. “It’s like art.”
He said larger buildings should conform to the neighborhoods around them. He said the city should not place what he called an “eyesore building” in the middle of a single family residential area.
“You can’t put an eyesore building in middle of a single family residence,” Gharibian said. “That doesn’t make sense.”
Gharibian said Glendale should ask the state for more time to study sites before moving forward with major housing projects.
“Give us time,” Gharibian said. “Let’s take our study, let’s do our research, let’s find location that is conforming to what you want us to do.”
He said the city should consider whether housing can be spread across several smaller sites instead of concentrated into one large project. He pointed to the former Sears site downtown as an example of a large project that may fit the surrounding area better than it would in a residential neighborhood.
“At least it’s in a location that it handles the type of the property,” Gharibian said.
But he said other sites need more scrutiny. He mentioned areas near Glendale College and said some locations do not make sense for large housing projects because they sit in residential neighborhoods.
“We need it, but we need to study where,” Gharibian said. “It has to be conforming to the area.”
Gharibian said housing also carries costs beyond construction. More residents require more service from police, fire and infrastructure. He said those impacts need to shape city decisions.
“That’s a different problem, that’s a budget issue,” he said.
On the budget, Gharibian said Glendale should protect police and fire funding. He called those departments the city’s most important services and said they help define Glendale’s quality of life.
“Glendale Police and Fire, it’s our biggest expense we have,” Gharibian said. “But at the same time, it’s also the most important and most valuable thing we have.”
He said Glendale’s safety separates it from many other cities in Los Angeles County.
“If we didn’t have the Glendale Police and fire, the safety, the way we have, Glendale wouldn’t be Glendale,” he said.
Gharibian said cutting public safety spending could change the city’s character.
“Cutting that budget, I would say it would be very dangerous to touch,” he said.
But he said the city should review contracts more aggressively. Gharibian said many city expenses come through third-party contracts that may renew without enough scrutiny.
“My first thing, once I’m elected, is bring all the contracts in,” Gharibian said. “I don’t care, it’s being expired six months from now or three years from now. Bring it in.”
He said the city should review whether it can seek new bids and get better pricing before contracts renew.
“Can we put more RFPs out there, be able to get it cheaper and better?” Gharibian said.
Still, Gharibian said cuts alone will not fix the city’s budget problem. He compared the city budget to a household budget and said reducing one bill does not solve a bigger income problem.
“If your income is less, you have more expenses, you cut the cable bill, that’s not going to fix your problem,” Gharibian said.
He said Glendale needs more revenue, but not by raising taxes on residents.
“More revenue doesn’t mean taxes,” Gharibian said.
Gharibian pointed to the Americana at Brand as an example of outside spending that benefits the city through sales tax. He said Glendale cannot simply duplicate the Americana, but it can look for similar revenue through restaurants, events and attractions that bring people in from outside the city.
“Americana is bringing in outside money,” Gharibian said.
He mentioned examples in other cities, including the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the Hollywood Bowl and Starlight Bowl in Burbank, as types of attractions that generate outside revenue.
“These are extra revenues the cities can bring in from outside money,” he said.
Gharibian said Glendale needs leaders who can plan years ahead, not just react to each budget cycle.
“City cannot live paycheck to paycheck,” Gharibian said. “You have to plan 10 years ahead.”
On transportation, Gharibian said safety should come first, especially for pedestrians.
“Safety obviously is first,” Gharibian said. “Especially pedestrians crossing the streets.”
But he questioned whether narrowing traffic lanes will solve speeding or safety problems. He said drivers may simply move onto other streets, creating new danger in residential areas.
“Narrowing down the lane to force the driver to slow down, that’s not going to work,” Gharibian said. “The drivers will find other ways, other streets that makes it even more dangerous.”
He said reducing lanes on major corridors could push drivers to streets such as Kenneth Road, where more pedestrians may face risk.
“So you have to be careful what the consequences are,” Gharibian said.
Gharibian said the city should plan ahead before making major street changes. He said speed cameras, police presence in known speeding areas and public education can all help.
“Police force has to be more present on the areas that we know speeding is there,” Gharibian said.
He also suggested using crashed cars as visual reminders to discourage reckless driving.
“Remind them, educate them,” Gharibian said. “Educating is the best way.”
Gharibian said the same idea applies beyond traffic. He said residents need more information about housing, budgets and public safety so they can better understand city decisions.
“People have to be engaged,” he said. “They have to be educated.”
At the end of the interview, Gharibian directed voters to RonnieForGlendale.com and said he is available to speak with residents.
“I’m available for anyone, anytime,” Gharibian said.
Candidate profile
Ronnie Gharibian
Race: Glendale City Council.
Background: Gharibian is running for Glendale City Council and directed voters in the Inclusive Voices Media interview to RonnieForGlendale.com for more information about his campaign. In the interview, he emphasized planning, public safety, business activity, contracts, revenue and traffic safety.
Key campaign themes: Careful housing placement, neighborhood compatibility, police and fire funding, contract review, new revenue without new taxes, long-term budget planning, pedestrian safety and traffic education.
Campaign website: RonnieForGlendale.com.
Interviewed by: Silva Harapetian, Inclusive Voices Media.
Inclusive Voices Media candidate interview protocol
Inclusive Voices Media has interviewed all but one of the Glendale City Council candidates.
In the interest of fairness and equal treatment, Inclusive Voices Media followed the same protocol for every interview.
All candidates were invited and given the opportunity to select a time slot on the same interview day.
Each interview was limited to 10 minutes.
All interviews were conducted live-to-tape. That means they were recorded continuously without stopping, editing, retakes or do-overs.
Each candidate was asked the same questions. No candidate received the questions in advance.
The interviews air in alphabetical order.
Inclusive Voices Media says its goal is to provide voters with a fair, transparent and consistent platform so they can hear directly from the candidates and make an informed decision at the ballot box.
All candidates were reached and given the same opportunity. All but one candidate participated.