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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: Why are you running for mayor?
I am very concerned about the coronavirus response.
I’m running for mayor because the city that I’ve lived in for 30 years, where I’ve raised my kids and where I intend on growing old, has become unrecognizable. I can no longer just sit on the sidelines and enjoy the benefits of living in this great city as it deteriorates. It’s time for me to get involved and change the direction of Anchorage.
I believe politics and this mayoral race is dominated by hyper-partisanship. I represent the majority of citizens, not just a clone of past conservative or liberal mayors that continue to steer our city to one extreme or the other for the purposes of their small donor base. My family has a long history of service through elected office and political activities. It is one of the ways that we have chosen to give back to the community, by offering our time and service in the interests of the vast majority of citizens. I will not pander to interests for money or power. I am a man of the people. That is a promise.
I’m running for mayor because I want to make Anchorage an even better place to live, and because we need fact-based leadership to beat COVID and get our economy back on track. I believe Anchorage can be an exciting city with strong public safety, thriving businesses, good-paying jobs and a top-tier education system. My time on the Assembly, as well as the work I’ve done with the Muldoon Farmers Market, Anchorage Park Foundation and Scenic Foothills Community Council, has prepared me to hit the ground running on Day One. Our community has advantages few cities share, including world-class trails, a deep Indigenous history and a diverse population. Those advantages position us for a strong economic recovery and long-term growth thereafter. Our best days are still ahead of us.
It is important that Anchorage focus on developing its private sector economy. In this century, cities compete globally for investment and development opportunities. The Muni government must focus on making Anchorage competitive. To do so we must commit to solving our homelessness problem, reducing crime and ensuring that our schools produce excellent academic outcomes. Anchorage has the potential to make the coming decades the best in the city’s history and I am committed to making sure we live up to that potential.
I am running for mayor because I believe Anchorage’s best days are still ahead of us, and I’m invested in that future. This election is about who is best prepared to meet the current moment, and translate good intentions into real, meaningful action. I’ve helped Anchorage through some tough days before: the Nov. 2018 earthquake; the 2019 wildfire season; and as Incident Commander in 2020, overseeing our local, on-the-ground response to COVID-19. I’ve led the teams that delivered on highly complex projects like the ML&P sale and rebuilding the Port of Alaska. Now, we have to rebuild our economy, make real progress on homelessness, preserve our public safety gains and make the quality-of-life improvements that ensure Anchorage remains a world-class place to live, work and play.
I’m from Anchorage, I am a fourth-generation Alaskan and I have the required background to actually do the job as mayor, including financial, accounting, construction, negotiating leases and new business in addition to listening to public and dealing with our immediate needs.
I am running for mayor to move Anchorage forward. By bringing diverse people together to roll our sleeves up and get things done, we can rebuild and rebound stronger, better prepared and more prosperous than before. A left-right tug-of-war has stunted forward progress in Anchorage. We went from being the city of lights and flowers with aspirations of getting the Winter Olympics and becoming the first city without prejudice to a finger-pointing, name-calling toxic political environment that led to increased vandalism, threats of violence and more economic uncertainty for working families. My vision is for a safe, connected and thriving city where our economy grows for everyone, where our neighborhoods and families flourish and our children are healthy and successful.
I am running for mayor to make Anchorage a safer, cleaner and more prosperous city. I want to see a lower crime rate; slow down, stop and reverse the growth of our homeless population; create a business friendly environment for entrepreneurs; work to streamline city government processes; and finally, move the city away from dependency on Juneau’s generosity and oil and gas for our future. Anchorage has always been a city that respected personal freedom, protected our right to worship as we pleased and raise our families without intervention from the heavy hand of government. I want to return us to that place. The city is out of balance and I want to work to restore that balance. And finally, I want to give back all I can to this city that has given so much to me and my family.
To correct the negative economic and other issues created by the current and prior mayors, administrations and assemblies starting with Mr. Begich. These involve the Port of Anchorage, software system transition, utilities, roads & maintenance, sole source contracts, negative economics, stalled private development, Covid 19 business shutdowns, over-expansion of city government. I will open all businesses, stimulate development, business growth in the city and restore improve the city and citizens economics with growth rather than historical destruction. I will eliminate closed door meetings, sealed legal settlements create total transparency. These Mayors, Administrations and Assemblies have served their interests and gains at the expense of the citizens of this city which must end.
More questions for candidates 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?