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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’s the biggest challenge facing city government and how would you address it?
The disruption in the public school system. Families need to have a plan to educate their children. If a student does not have the option of 5-days-a-week, in-person instruction through the public schools, then they should be funded directly so parents have the ability to provide another mode of instruction.
The immediate challenge is to end the closure mandates and allow everyone back to work. I will end those mandates immediately upon taking office on July 1st. Beyond that, one of the most pressing issues is that of our homeless crisis. As mayor, I will aggressively and compassionately work to reduce the homelessness problem in our city. We will form a team to work with the Brother Francis Shelter, Anchorage Gospel Rescue Center, Salvation Army Clithroe Center, and others to increase services and capacity. Return Sullivan Arena to its intended purpose as a sports and events venue, not a homeless shelter.
COVID-19 and its effects on the budget and economy. All possible efforts to capture federal and state funds must be taken. Marketing Anchorage and Alaska as a “safe” tourist destination must be taken now. The cargo and logistics operations and potential duty-free product assembly at the airport should be pursued through public-private partnerships with great haste to create jobs. New sources of revenue must be implemented.
The biggest challenge we face is getting our economy back on track while keeping a balanced budget. On top of addressing the immediate COVID crisis, we must preserve our excellent bond rating that keeps the cost of municipal borrowing low, diversify our revenue streams, and move away from over-reliance on property taxes and the unstable State budget. We need to find a balance between providing critical services and keeping rates, fees, and property taxes affordable. On the Assembly, I helped ensure that the proceeds from the sale of ML&P were deposited into the Municipal Trust, supported the fuel tax, approved targeted cuts to every department but public safety and voted for audits that returned millions to the municipality. I will continue to prioritize fiscal responsibility as mayor.
Our biggest challenge is our divided nature. To compete effectively for investment, jobs and development opportunities we need to be pulling together toward similar goals. We must commit ourselves to actually solving the problems we face such as homelessness and crime. The bottom line is we need less politics and more solutions. We have to decide as a community whether we are willing to invest in ourselves. We will not grow without investment and our problems will not simply solve themselves without our effort.
The COVID pandemic will look very different by the time the new mayor takes office in July 2021. But Anchorage will still be dealing with the economic fallout. After more than a year of high unemployment, low oil prices, a challenging state fiscal climate, traumatic restaurant and small business closures and a new work-from-home culture that may permanently change the commercial real estate market, targeted support will be critical to getting our economy back to full strength and supporting our recovery. I’ll encourage new development, a more vibrant downtown and position Anchorage to thrive. Playing to our strengths as a headquarters city and a hub for tourism, we’ll remain the vibrant place we know and love — a city of unrivaled community, beauty and opportunity.
Job loss and homelessness. My specific plan would put an average of 25,000 people back to work immediately, build veterans housing (not with city money), housing the homeless to bring them back into society as a wage earners, turn the Golden Lion into outpatient care with the UAA nursing program, complementary to existing business around it, and 90-day letters of intent for new business.
The city government’s biggest challenge is restoring public trust and reducing the level of toxic partisanship that has grown increasingly more bitter and volatile. Over the last year, I’ve talked with hundreds of our community members who share the same growing concerns about their families’ safety, economic future and the level of political disfunction of the city. They are tired of Anchorage teetering between standing still or falling behind, and they are tired of excuses from ambitious leaders who don’t know what to do or who are unwilling to make things happen.
The biggest challenge facing our government is lack of visionary leadership. I will use the skills and talents that I have acquired over the last 35 years to change that.
Correcting the historical actions of the current and prior mayors that separated the governing body from the people of Anchorage. As mayor I will sit with the people of Anchorage in Assembly chambers and meetings and will until such changes. This being when Assembly members become more balanced politically and properly serve all people of Anchorage. Anchorage must be able to correct itself economically and in other areas. The mayor and Assembly must stop dividing the people of Anchorage for their gain. The current and prior mayor are politically aligned with the majority of the assembly and thus pass anything they choose based upon mutual negotiations. It would be nice to see a mayor veto as needed to expose such actions.
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?