OPINION: I believe in Anchorage, and I'm running for mayor

Are you excited about the future of Anchorage? It’s a question I’ve pondered frequently in recent years. Growing up in Anchorage during the 1960s and ‘70s, it was a city filled with excitement and pride. Despite the growing pains in the first decade of statehood and challenges that came with the pipeline construction boom, my parents and their friends remained unwavering in their optimism for our city’s future. My generation embraced that optimism, and Anchorage flourished.

Having spent more than half a century in Alaska, optimism has been a constant theme for me — whether on the Kenai Peninsula or here in Anchorage. I’ve shared this optimism in various roles, as a businessperson, sole proprietor, member of the Kenai Peninsula Borough government, and for the last 16 years as the president and CEO of the Anchorage Economic Development Corp. Yet, in recent years, I’ve grown concerned.

A slow erosion in our ability to envision a positive future has taken hold. Instead of effectively addressing challenges and reinvesting in our city, we find ourselves trapped in an endless cycle of putting out one dumpster fire after another — from port reconstruction to homelessness, funding woes in our school district, a stagnant housing market, an understaffed police force and rising crime levels that erode our sense of security.

We’ve lost thousands of workers seeking better opportunities elsewhere, and scandals have plagued municipal government leadership. Our once-vibrant vision for the future has dimmed. This is why I’m running for mayor of Anchorage. I passionately believe in our city’s future and aim to revive lost hope and optimism by effectively solving our current challenges.

As mayor, I will prioritize restoring our city government’s integrity, transparency and effectiveness. I will adhere to municipal code and contracting regulations and lead an administration committed to delivering excellent public service without drama and scandal. In short, I plan to make local government boring.

The citizens of Anchorage deserve excellence in service delivery. My foremost consideration will be to make Anchorage an attractive employer again, to staff our depleted public service agencies that are working with skeleton crews, and to make hires based on professional qualifications and competency, not political affiliation or favor.

The return to the professional practice of good governance will attract top-tier employees with little interest in promoting partisan conflict over the common good. This will result in a city that is attractive, safe and filled with opportunities for future generations.

As your mayor, I will work cooperatively with our Assembly, business leaders, community councils, neighborhood groups, faith communities and supportive service providers to move our city up and out of its growing crisis of homelessness. I will actively help facilitate and coordinate high-quality resources that will be sustainable and stable for assisting people to return to housing and health. Our lack of progress on this issue is a wound we all share and there is no room for recrimination.

I will be laser-focused on making our streets safer and our city more attractive to businesses and new families, revitalizing our public spaces, and casting a new vision for Anchorage that will inspire our children and grandchildren to stay and choose Anchorage as their home. I have a record of public service to support these commitments to you, and a heart for the renewal of our city.

It would be one of the greatest honors of my life to serve you, the people of Anchorage, as your mayor. I have no political affiliation; my party is Anchorage, and my loyalty is to its citizens. I am firmly optimistic about our future, and as your mayor, I’ll work tirelessly to restore pride in our city. Let’s build a bright future together — I invite you to join me in this effort.

Bill Popp grew up in Anchorage, is a candidate for Anchorage mayor, former president and CEO of the Anchorage Economic Development Corp. and former Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly president.

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