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  • Glendale: Clerk's office now has a race

    Glendale News Press
    LATimes.com
    Dec 1 2004

    Clerk's office now has a race
    Lorna Vartanian files to become the second candidate in the running
    to become city's top elections official.

    By Josh Kleinbaum, News-Press and Leader


    GLENDALE CITY HALL - Now the city clerk race has some real
    competition.

    Lorna Vartanian, a financial accounting manager for a Los
    Angeles-based law firm, announced Tuesday that she will run for City
    Clerk in the April election, guaranteeing a contested race for a
    position that has been little more than a political hand-me-down for
    more than 75 years.

    City Clerk Doris Twedt plans to retire after her term expires in
    April, meaning an incumbent will not be running for city clerk for
    the first time since 1929. Ardashes Kassakhian, executive director of
    the Armenian National Committee's Western Region, announced last week
    that he will run for the position.

    "I see the clerk's office as a very dynamic office in its range of
    responsibility and interaction with the public," Vartanian said. "I
    have a strong background in private sector administration. I see an
    opportunity to bring my skills to the clerk's office and to serve the
    community."

    The City Clerk is the city's chief election official, and the clerk
    oversees the city's records.

    Vartanian and Kassakhian are the first to enter what could be a
    crowded field for city clerk. Only six people have filled the post
    since 1929, with elections being mere formalities. When one stepped
    aside, he or she did it mid-term, and the City Council appointed a
    replacement. The appointed clerks then ran for election as
    incumbents.

    The first open race in more than 75 years, along with a minimum
    annual salary of $105,000, will likely draw more candidates.

    "I'm sure the field is going to continue to grow," Kassakhian said.
    "There's going to be other people announcing. It's a long ways until
    the election in April."

    If elected, Vartanian said she would focus on increasing voter
    turnout and modernizing the city clerk's office, including making
    more information available on the city's Website. Kassakhian
    mentioned similar goals when he announced his bid last week.

    One campaign issue could be whether the position should be political
    or apolitical. Kassakhian has a background as a community activist,
    lobbying for the Armenian National Committee. Vartanian stressed that
    her background is in administration, not politics.

    "It is an administrative post, and that's what's so important about
    it," Vartanian said. "The position needs to be completely neutral and
    independent of any political influence."

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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