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Over the years, we (Jonathan King and Nolan Klouda) have discovered that we have much in common:
• We are residents of the West Anchorage Assembly district and multi-decade residents of Anchorage.
• We have recently served in leadership roles on the Municipality of Anchorage’s Budget Advisory Commission.
• We are parents of children born in Anchorage and share the hope that Anchorage can be a great place for them to grow up, and in the future, will be a viable choice for where they want to live as adults.
• We have committed our professional lives to strengthening Alaska’s communities, businesses and organizations through our work as an economist and an economic developer.
• We believe that integrity, honesty, service and “walking the talk” are critical elements of our personal lives and for creating effective government.
Like you, we have witnessed a rapid erosion of those important values, Anchorage’s quality of life, and the viability of this city as a great place to live over the last several years. Was it the earthquake of 2018 that caused this decline? No. Was it the COVID-19 pandemic? No. It’s the lack of leadership in, and increasing ineffectiveness of, executive leadership in Anchorage’s City Hall. We know that Anchorage’s municipal government can do better because we have seen it do better. Our “can do better” is quickly turning into a “must do better.” As a municipality, we are increasingly failing to address the needs which form the foundation of our collective quality of life. The longer we fail to meet our challenges, the more difficult and painful our recovery.
Like you, we want more for our community and we want better from our local leadership. For that reason, we are extending our commonality to something that each of us has rarely done: endorsing a political candidate. We support Anna Brawley for the West Anchorage Assembly seat in the April election and we ask you to do the same. Anna is the immediate past chair of the Budget Advisory Commission. She didn’t join the commission to build a resume or as a stepping stone; she joined to make a difference for the people of Anchorage. We know her desire to create a better future for all of us is what motivates her to run for Assembly. Anna is prepared to do the job: She knows the budget and how it gets built, she knows Anchorage’s neighborhoods and communities, and she listens to all comers. In our experience, she is the best prepared member we’ve ever worked with in our time on the commission. Her questions are insightful and incisive. These are attributes we need in our assembly. Anna embodies the transparent, ethical, well-prepared and effective leadership that is key to building a vibrant future.
The strongest bulwark against the continued erosion of our common future is an Assembly that will do its homework, fight cronyism and work together to create a vision for a better future. Anna Brawley has the values, skills, experience and temperament to lead this city to that place we all want and deserve. We respectfully ask you to give her your vote.
Jonathan King and Nolan Klouda are residents of the West Anchorage district of the Anchorage Assembly.
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