The two candidates hoping to replace termed-out Supervisor Michael Antonovich went head-to-head in a debate Friday night in Burbank over how they would lead Los Angeles County鈥檚 largest district.
Kathryn Barger and Darrell Park fielded questions for an hour by members of the League of Women Voters of Glendale-Burbank on everything from bringing more businesses into the county to homelessness, children鈥檚 social services and the environment.
Barger, who has served as Antonovich鈥檚 top chief adviser for 15 years and who has been widely endorsed, said her top concern is job creation. She said she was proud of attracting businesses to the North County and of her work enhancing mental health services. She supports Measure M, an initiative that will ask November voters to allow a half-cent sales-tax hike to pay for transportation improvements.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 need on-the-job training,鈥� Barger told the audience inside Burbank City Hall鈥檚 council chamber. 鈥淚 can hit the ground running. That鈥檚 why I have bipartisan support.鈥�
Park, a former White House Office of Budget and Management staffer and entrepreneur, emphasized his support for green energy, and said he wants to improve the way money is spent on large-scale issues, such as homelessness, the juvenile justice system and improving a wider plan in place to help communities recover from an inevitable earthquake.
鈥淭oo often, we spend a lot of money and have nothing to show for it,鈥� Park said. 鈥淭his is one of the most important races on the ballot. We cannot go on the way we鈥檝e been going on.鈥�
He said the sanitation department, for example, could run more efficiently and local landfills such as Sunshine Canyon could shut down, with the waste moved to the Mesquite Regional Landfill, east of Glamis. He also wants to see the Aliso Canyon gas wells shut down.
Barger said she would like to work to improve social services for children and families and agreed that challenges exist.
鈥淲e have to do a better job,鈥� she said. 鈥淪ocial workers should be allowed to do their job. Right now they spend too much time on paperwork.鈥�
While Friday night鈥檚 debate was cordial, with both candidates focused on the issues and their interests, Barger won a legal challenge two weeks ago against Park鈥檚 campaign which tried to link her to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge upheld Barger鈥檚 challenge to the ballot statement made by Park. Barger said she does not support Trump, hasn鈥檛 voted for him nor will she vote for him. She said she is committed to running a campaign that appeals to Democratic, Republican, and Independent voters throughout the 5th District, which spans more than 2,800 square miles and stretches from Gorman to Glendora.
County supervisors hold nonpartisan seats. Antonovich has held the seat for 36 years. He is running for the 25th District state Senate seat, replacing termed-out incumbent Carol Liu.
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