OPINION: Bill Popp is the clear choice for mayor

For an extensive period, we’ve had the privilege of knowing and collaborating with Bill Popp. His unwavering support for the Municipality of Anchorage spans a lifetime, embodying both a personal friendship and a dedicated commitment to the community he’s called home. His lifelong dedication to Anchorage demands attention and resonates deeply with the essence of our vibrant community.

We have had the opportunity to work closely with Bill for many years on the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce and Anchorage Economic Development Corp. boards of directors as we supported the Anchorage business community and the initiatives to fund and build the Dena’ina Convention Center, the Live.Work.Play. initiative and, until his retirement, the Choose Anchorage initiative.

Popp has been instrumental in spearheading the outreach to new businesses and the expansion of existing businesses. He has great insight into what our community needs, without bringing the baggage of a political party along. He has long-held, well-developed relationships with businesses, community leaders, and non-profit organizations that are the wellspring and soul of our community.

Some of the other leading candidates, while certainly well-intentioned, bring along biases from past affiliations. The current relationship between the mayor and the Assembly is an obvious example of pre-bias affecting relationships. The current mayor and Assembly all need to take on their share of responsibility for this situation. We need this broken relationship to be transformed into one that is healthy and functioning for the good of our people. Popp is the one Mayoral candidate with a demonstrated history of bringing people together. Anchorage is crying out for this kind of leadership now.

We believe that Bill brings a lot of experience running AEDC that will enhance his ability to hit the ground running from day one, to the benefit of all of the community. His aforementioned relationships within the community will lead to a smooth transition. His understanding of how the system works will help to repair the damage that has been done during the last mayoral administration.

At this moment, the morale at Municipality offices is at an all-time low. We need to get the people who serve us a better workplace environment. We need to fill the numerous vacant staff positions so that all the work that needs to get done, is done. Retaining the current mayor would not help with this. The people he has hired, with a few exceptions, have not performed well, indeed, they were put into positions for which they were remarkably unqualified. Popp will certainly be able to rectify this situation. He has the contacts and resources to identify the high-quality people Anchorage needs to fill the necessary positions to carry out the work of our city government.

Our community must look forward. We need compassionate and thoughtful leadership that understands that we have a great future in front of us. It is all there waiting. We have to do our part to move into this future under the leadership of Bill Popp.

Please join us in support of Bill Popp.

Janelle Pfleiger is an Associate Broker with RE/MAX Dynamic Properties and past board chair of the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce.

Art Clark is broker/owner of Alaska Real Estates Associates.

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