On December 1, 2025, the Burbank City Council Chambers transformed into a heartfelt celebration as longtime photographer, storyteller, and community champion Ross A. Benson was awarded the prestigious Key to the City of Burbank, presented by Mayor Nikki Perez.
The honor, one of the highest recognitions a city can bestow, is a symbolic gesture given to individuals who have made an extraordinary impact on a community. It represents trust and gratitude, acknowledging how that person has helped shape the city’s story.
For Benson, the moment came as a complete surprise.He had been asked by the City to “photograph a special event,” a request he’s heard countless times in his 50-year career. With camera in hand, he walked into the chambers expecting another routine assignment. Instead, he was met with a room filled with friends, family, colleagues, city leaders, business owners, and community members, all standing and clapping the moment he entered.
Shock washed over his face. Then emotion. He had no idea HE was the event. Mayor Nikki Perez delivered heartfelt remarks, capturing what so many in Burbank feel about the man who has dedicated his life to documenting our city’s story.
“Now it’s hard to imagine Burbank without Ross Benson,” said Mayor Perez. “He is in every way a part of the fabric of our community.” Ross has called Burbank home for 69 years, and for nearly all of them, he has been behind a camera. On sidewalks, in council chambers, at ribbon cuttings, on parade routes, at police and fire scenes, at graduations, celebrations, tragedies, triumphs, and everything in between, Ross Benson (and his famous mustache) have been there.
Through his lens, he has preserved the heart of this city for five decades. His work spans historical milestones, community traditions, breaking news, and the everyday moments that make Burbank feel like home. He is also the Vice President and Chief Photographer of myBurbank News and the current President of the Magnolia Park Merchants Association, working tirelessly to uplift small businesses and help build beloved traditions like Holiday in the Park and Burbank on Parade. Whenever the community needs support, Ross is there.
“He embodies what it means to love this city,” added Mayor Perez. “He is always present, he is always supportive, and he always shares Burbank’s stories through the lens.” When it was finally Benson’s turn to speak, he delivered a line that felt like a promise he’s been living out for decades: “To this day I always feel that Burbank is the best city in the whole wide world, and I’m going to prove it.”
He shared how he wakes up at 3 or 4 a.m. to chase breaking news, how he never misses a graduation, and how deeply he cares about documenting and preserving the city he loves.
When Mayor Perez revealed the plaque and the Key to the City, the chambers rose in a standing ovation providing an emotional, heartfelt tribute to a man who has captured Burbank’s soul one photograph at a time. In a city full of storytellers, Ross Benson is one of the rare few who not only tells the story…he helps define it.
