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In advance of the April 6 Anchorage municipal election, the Anchorage Daily News asked candidates running for Anchorage mayor a series of issue questions. These include questions suggested by readers. Read all the mayor and school board candidates’ responses here.
Q: What role should city government play in repairing economic damage to individuals, businesses and community organizations from the pandemic?
City government should remove as many barriers to entry as possible. We should pressure state government to give Alaska residents the whole amount of the PFD so that they rebuild their savings and pay for debt accrued during the disruption.
First, we must end the devastating closure mandates. We must allow our small business and the entrepreneurs that own them to direct their own affairs. We need to revitalize our economic efforts through private sector growth, not government expansion. One of my first actions as your mayor will be to support the ongoing efforts of the Roadmap to a Vital and Safe Anchorage and implement the recommendations outlined by business leaders in our community.
The municipality should do everything it can to foster business development and make it easier and more efficient to develop responsibly. I think a review of the zoning and planning process from a bureaucratic and procedural standpoint is long overdue. We need to look at ways to keep people spending money in Anchorage rather than allowing online retailers to suck money out of Alaska and cripple our economy. Anchorage provides infrastructure for the delivery of goods to the entire state and property taxpayers and businesses have to bear that burden. It’s unfair and something needs to be done to require those getting massive benefits from our infrastructure to help pay for it in an equitable way.
The municipality should do everything it can to repair the economic damage caused by the pandemic. There are currently a number of programs to reduce fees, waive regulations or otherwise get folks through the crisis. However, no local entity has the resources to undo the harms of COVID-19 on our own; we must continue to advocate for federal aid and then work to disburse those funds quickly. We must also understand that the harms of the pandemic go beyond dollars and cents; there are real mental health concerns associated with the suffering and death COVID-19 has inflicted on our community. Part of our recovery will be this psychological recovery, and the municipality should continue to direct resources to programs like additional counselors and the Mental Health First Responder Team.
The economic problems facing Anchorage pre-dated the pandemic and it is important to keep that in mind when discussing how best to move forward. The single most important thing the city government can do is to take all possible steps to position Anchorage to compete effectively with other cities for investment opportunities. We need the city government to be an effective partner in responsible development and creative solutions to attract businesses and jobs. Anchorage does not have the financial wherewithal to provide significant direct support to individuals and entities hurt by the pandemic. It should serve as an effective pass-thru for both state and federal relief funds.
Federal support will be key to the recovery and will likely involve a significant municipal workload. As mayor, I will stand ready to efficiently and transparently distribute whatever funds the city next receives from the federal government, on the terms required by the federal legislation. Beyond merely disbursing federal aid, the city should: first, support a robust infrastructure program to jump-start economic activity; second, spur new private sector development by assisting with necessary utility work, and incentivizing projects with positive community effects; third, process construction permits quickly and predictably; and fourth, make quality-of-life investments to reestablish and grow our tourism sector and make Anchorage a more attractive place from which to “work from anywhere.”
Revaluations. Abatements. Reverse new taxes.
First, the municipality should play a proactive role in providing technical assistance for individuals and small businesses, including disadvantaged business enterprises, to ensure that every eligible company or person applies for the maximum amount they qualify for. Second, my administration will help local businesses survive through digital adaptation and value-added growth opportunities. Lastly, we need to open the economy to get back on track safely.
The government must play a role since it instituted the policies that have devastated our hospitality industry and our small businesses. First, we need to properly manage our CARES funds. Second, we need to push the assistance down to the lowest level in the economy. We need to provide rent and mortgage assistance. The city needs to evaluate the use of ML&P proceeds and even the possibility of accessing the MOA trust fund to carefully pull the city out of the hole that we are in to help small business and landlords. But most importantly, we need to get the city back open and functioning to end any further damage from being done.
The city should do all that is legally correct to assist, correct and repair damage done. They also have a similar legal responsibility to the people to ensure that the city survives and regrows to economic stability. They can’t increase taxes, fees or other income sources that would hinder this. They have to currently find all ways to reduce costs and those imposed upon the people to ensure such to the best of their ability. They should put on hold/delay all capital expenses until the city has recovered adequately for positive growth.
Read more questions:
Why are you running for mayor?
What’s the biggest challenge facing city government and how would you address it?
Describe how your administration would approach the coronavirus pandemic
Would you make changes to the Anchorage Police Department and policing policies? Why?
Is the Anchorage Police Department adequately staffed?
Describe, with specifics, how you would expand and diversify Anchorage’s economy.
What’s your vision for Anchorage’s economy in the future?
Is taxation in Anchorage too high/about right/too low?
Do you have ideas for alternative sources of city revenue? Explain.
Are there city programs or services you would cut? Explain.
Are there city programs or services you would expand? Explain.
What’s your view of current Anchorage land-use plans? Would you push for changes?
Name a program dealing with homelessness in Anchorage that you believe is working
Are there specific transportation projects you would initiate in the municipality if elected?
What other important issue would you like to discuss?
Read more questions:
Why are you running for mayor?
What’s the biggest challenge facing city government and how would you address it?
Describe how your administration would approach the coronavirus pandemic
Would you make changes to the Anchorage Police Department and policing policies? Why?
Is the Anchorage Police Department adequately staffed?
Describe, with specifics, how you would expand and diversify Anchorage’s economy.
What’s your vision for Anchorage’s economy in the future?
Is taxation in Anchorage too high/about right/too low?
Do you have ideas for alternative sources of city revenue? Explain.
Are there city programs or services you would cut? Explain.
Are there city programs or services you would expand? Explain.
What’s your view of current Anchorage land-use plans? Would you push for changes?
Name a program dealing with homelessness in Anchorage that you believe is working
Are there specific transportation projects you would initiate in the municipality if elected?