Donald Burr










Former top cop Donald Burr steps into race for council seat

Clerk and treasurer will run unopposed in November elections

By Steven Raphael

Some politicians have been at each other's throats for months, but the race for two Campbell City Council seats is just starting to heat up.

The deadline for candidates to file nomination papers was Aug. 11, but in the council race, that deadline was extended to Aug. 16 because Councilman Bob Dougherty did not file papers to run for another term. (When an incumbent does not run for re-election, the filing deadline is automatically extended by five days.)

At press time, two city council candidates, former Police Chief Donald Burr and Councilman Matthew Dean had both announced their candidacy.

Burr has a long history of service in Campbell. He worked as a police officer in the city from 1956 until 1972, when he became police chief. He held that position until 1987. He was elected to city council in 1988 and served two 4-year terms.

Burr also filled in around City Hall, serving as acting city manager on various occasions from 1972 to 1981.

Additionally, he served as interim police chief for Milpitas in 1997.

He is currently a member of the General Plan Task Force Committee.

"I just know the city, know it really well," he said. "It's a great city and I want to have some input in the decisions that are coming up."

Mathew Dean










Councilman Dean is presently finishing his first term on the city council. He has been involved with the Campbell Union School District in a variety of positions, including as a member of the technology committee, a classroom volunteer and a soccer coach.

During his tenure on the council, Dean said, he has worked to improve programs for youths and to increase the openness of the government, making sure that more information is given to citizens.

"The more people are involved in democracy, the better it works," he said.

Dean said that he has made a point of always listening to the public and taking their opinions into consideration when voting on important issues. He also said that he strives to ask a lot of questions to ensure that all options are explored. As an example, he cited the location of the new parking garage, which cost significantly less than the other options and was originally considered as the result of one of Dean's questions.

Planning Commissioner Tom Francois has also pulled papers for a council seat. At press time, he had not yet officially filed for candidacy. He said that he was planning to run in the election, but needed to discuss the issue with his wife before reaching a final decision.

In addition to his work on the Planning Commission, Francois has been a reserve police officer for 26 years, and said that he is involved with many other community organizations, such as Little League and martial arts.

"Campbell is really special to me," he said. "What I'm interested in is seeing the growth of the city in a positive direction."

City council members earn $485 per month and are required to attend bimonthly meetings and other events.

City clerk Anne Bybee and City Treasurer Gerald Kennedy have each chosen to run for re-election and will be running unopposed. The filing period for those two spots closed on Aug. 11.

The city clerk is responsible for a variety of activities, including taking minutes at council meetings, administering the oath of office to new officials, and ensuring that public notices are posted promptly. The city treasurer is responsible for reviewing the city's bank statements every month and keeping accurate records.

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