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I am running for Cypress City Council because as a business owner, attorney, husband, and father, I care deeply about Cypress’s future. I intend to prioritize safe streets, clean parks, attracting desirable businesses, economic opportunity, and fun community events as the key pillars of a thriving city. And as the founder of a nonprofit that fights against big money in politics and for more transparent government, I also want to ensure that our city’s government lives up to the highest standards of integrity and accountability.
The upcoming election is a critical one for Cypress. The city is facing significant challenges in the form of undue influence from special interests, lawsuits, and increased hostility between council members. With our most senior council members termed out, it is especially important that we elect representatives who can hit the ground running. Relying on my professional experience as well as prior service as an elected official, I am prepared to help us navigate the critical challenges we face.
Having served on the Westwood Neighborhood Council after graduating from UCLA Law School, I know how to be responsive and accountable to residents. Too often in Cypress I have seen residents ask council members for help without getting an appropriate response. Recent news stories detailing residents’ unanswered requests to stop trash from being dumped near their homes at the city’s Public Works Yard are just one example. As your representative, I will be accessible and will work with my fellow council members and city staff to address your concerns in a timely manner.
I will also be a leader in the effort for essential campaign finance reforms and improved transparency. Too often, elected officials put the wishes of large campaign contributors (developers, waste management companies, unions, etc.) above what is best for the community as a whole. As the author of “Integrity In Local Government: A Report Card on Campaign Finance Laws and Transparency in Orange County Municipal Government”, I know how we can enact safeguards that have worked in other cities to ensure that we have government of, by, and for the people, not of, by, and for the special interests.
As an attorney, I strongly believe that we need to find sensible resolutions to the city’s legal battles. Many residents I’ve spoken with are tired of reading headlines about Cypress being sued or about the city hiring more lawyers to help with the onslaught of demand letters and public records requests. Our tax dollars would be better spent on enhancing city services or upgrading parks than on court costs or attorney’s fees.
Speaking of our tax dollars, it is also imperative that we elect representatives who can keep Cypress on strong fiscal footing. The city is in a relatively good position now, but with the aforementioned lawsuits, projected budget deficits, and significant unfunded pension liability, if we aren’t careful things could head south quickly. Relying on my experience as a business owner and as someone who has long advocated for frugality and smartm long-term financial planning on an individual level, I will work to ensure that Cypress is fiscally responsible now, and for future generations.
We also need council members who can work together effectively with representatives of different backgrounds and political ideologies. In the past year, City Council meetings have grown increasingly hostile. Some disagreement between council members is healthy and natural. But when those disagreements take our representatives’ attention away from focusing on more important matters, our city suffers. Throughout my career I have found common ground with both Republicans and Democrats to advance reforms that would keep foreign money out of elections or require more transparency from elected officials. As your representative, I will focus on solving problems rather than scoring political points.
Please visit my website at www.davidburkeforcypress.com for more information, or reach out to me directly at [email protected] if you’d like to share your concerns or discuss some of the important issues in this election. It would be my honor to earn your vote.
