BURANDT FOR PLACENTIA CITY COUNCIL • DISTRICT 4

James Burandt

Public Service
Professional

Candidate for Placentia City Council District 4

I’ve spent my career in public service, but Placentia is where public service became personal. It’s where my wife and I bought our first home, where we welcomed our son, and where I found a community I wanted to serve.

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James Burandt speaking at a public event
James Burandt Candidate for City Council • District 4
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A practical local focus

Priorities for Placentia

Fiscal Responsibility & Transparency

  • Advocate for a regularly updated Interactive Financial Transparency Dashboard that makes city financial information visual, understandable, and accessible—not simply available as documents.
  • Improve visibility into budget performance, revenues, reserves, major expenditures, and capital projects.
  • Support responsible long-term financial planning, healthy reserves, and clear public reporting around major spending decisions.

Public Safety & Emergency Readiness

  • Support regular multi-agency emergency exercises, tabletop drills, and preparedness planning.
  • Keep emergency operations and disaster-preparedness plans current, and ensure police, fire, dispatch, and city operations are ready for earthquakes, flooding, wildfire, severe weather, extended power outages, and other major incidents.
  • Improve resident awareness of emergency alerts, preparedness resources, and community programs.

Streets & Everyday Services

  • Use pavement-condition, infrastructure, and maintenance data to help prioritize investments.
  • Make upcoming street repairs, maintenance schedules, and major infrastructure projects easier for residents to track.
  • Support preventative maintenance and responsive everyday services across streets, sidewalks, traffic infrastructure, streetlights, parks, and public spaces so problems are addressed before they become more expensive. Local government earns trust by getting the everyday things right.
James Burandt with his wife and infant son at a community gathering

Why Placentia

The community we chose to call home.

One of the first things that stood out to me about Placentia was how seriously this community takes its commitment to veterans. The Veterans Advisory Committee, the VA clinic, Veterans Village, and the veterans monument at City Hall all sent a clear message: veterans and their families were welcome and valued here.

That sense of welcome drew me deeper into the community. It led me to serve on the Placentia Veterans Advisory Committee, which I now chair, and gave me an early way to contribute to the city my wife and I had chosen for our first home.

My connection to Placentia has grown far beyond veterans issues. This is where we welcomed our son and where we are building our family. It is where I have chosen to invest my time, serve my neighbors, and put down roots.

Placentia is where public service became personal.

Public Service Professional

A Career Built on Public Service

From military service and veterans advocacy to federal, local, and county government, public service has shaped every stage of my career.

I have worked with people and institutions at multiple levels of government, giving me a firsthand understanding of how public decisions affect residents and communities.

A continuum of public service

  1. United States Marine Corps

    • Served at Camp Pendleton and MCAS Miramar, with deployments to Bahrain and Kuwait.
    • Earned a Meritorious Mast for leadership as Class First Sergeant, responsible for the accountability and leadership of 39 Marines.
    • Earned a Certificate of Commendation during deployment for ammunition logistics and readiness work, including tracking more than 100,000 rounds and training more than 60 Marines in ordnance safety.

  2. Cal State Fullerton Veterans Resource Center

    • Worked part time at the Veterans Resource Center, supporting student veterans with academics, campus navigation, administrative needs, and the transition into university life.
    • Served as president of the Student Veterans of America chapter at Cal State Fullerton.
    • Received the Legacy Achievement Award for leadership and service that strengthened the organization and helped establish a foundation for its continued success.

  3. Congressional Service — Washington, D.C.

    • Selected as one of five participants nationwide for the Veterans of Foreign Wars Legislative Fellowship, alongside an internship with Congressman Lou Correa.
    • Developed a written veterans-policy proposal and presented the concept to congressional offices for consideration.
    • Prepared policy materials, technical reports, graphs, and recommendations supporting legislative and advocacy work.

  4. City of Lake Forest + Cal State Fullerton

    Public Works Intern — City of Lake Forest

    • Conducted site surveys and water-quality inspections and prepared reports for management.
    • Processed more than $7 million in financial deposits for the waste-management program and supported residents with waste-reduction compliance.
    • Compiled data and prepared monthly staff reports for City Council and commission meetings.

    Graduate Assistant — Cal State Fullerton

    • Supported the Division of Politics, Administration, and Justice with course materials, assessments, grading, and student instruction.
    • Assisted with departmental events, including venue coordination, executive outreach, and guest speakers.

  5. Congressional District Service — Orange County

    • In congressional district service for Congresswoman Young Kim, represented seven cities and attended federal, state, county, and municipal events to maintain relationships with public agencies and community organizations.
    • Served as Internship Supervisor, recruiting and managing up to 10 interns during spring, summer, and fall terms.
    • Prepared staff reports, memoranda, speeches, talking points, and event summaries and helped coordinate public-facing events, including veteran and senior resource fairs involving federal agencies.

  6. County of Los Angeles

    • Analyze service and appointment data to identify operational trends, reporting discrepancies, and data-quality issues.
    • Develop dashboards and visual reports that help leadership monitor performance and make informed decisions.
    • Review procedures and workflows and translate complex operational data into clear information for management.

  7. Community Leadership

    • Chair, Placentia Veterans Advisory Committee
    • Board Member, Navy League of the United States — Orange County Council
    • Advisory Board, Cal State DC Scholars
James Burandt speaking beside a Marine Corps flag before an audience
Service in action

Documented service

Selected Record of Service

Featured Profile

Cal State Fullerton — Titan Magazine

A Pillar of Hope

A profile highlighting James's transition from the Marine Corps to Cal State Fullerton, his work supporting student veterans, and his advocacy for veterans at the national level.

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Public Speaking

Cal State Fullerton

Veteran & Military Appreciation Month

As president of the Student Veterans Association, James addressed the Cal State Fullerton community during its Veteran and Military Appreciation Month flag-raising ceremony.

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Veteran & Education

Warrior-Scholar Project

Student Spotlight: James Burandt, USMC

Warrior-Scholar Project featured James's journey from Marine Corps service into higher education and public service.

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Explore Media & Speaking

Council Districts

Serving District 4

James Burandt is running to represent Placentia’s District 4. Explore the map to see the council districts, or use the district lookup tool to confirm which district you live in.

Aerial map showing Placentia council districts 1 through 5

District boundaries shown for reference. Use the district lookup tool to confirm your address.

FIND YOUR DISTRICT

From the community

Around Placentia

Community events, public service, local conversations, and updates from across Placentia and Orange County.

James Burandt seated with attendees at the Irvine Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast
Community Event

Irvine Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast

Help move Placentia forward

Join our community-powered campaign.

Your support will help build a campaign focused on listening, service, and the future of our city.

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Get in touch

Let’s start a conversation.

Have a question, want to get involved, or want to share what matters to your neighborhood? Email the campaign and we’ll be in touch.

Emailcontact@burandtforplacentia.com
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