13.0°

This particular borough election will be about priorities. How to prioritize our needs as revenue falls and demand for services increase? What do we consider essential and what is superfluous to our needs? These questions will need to be answered in detail over the next few years. The decisions will be difficult and most likely unpopular. Input from the public will be a key component in making those decisions. Now is the time to listen closely to candidates for office and identify those that most closely represent your needs.

While the borough has not yet faced a budget shortfall you don't need to look very far to see our neighbors struggling with these decisions. The cities of Anchorage and Homer, as well as others, are working hard to cut spending in order to bring budgets in line with revenue. While cuts are traumatic and difficult, there is another option. Tax increases!! The borough assembly could raise the mill rate for our property and probably cover any shortfall, we could continue to spend as desired and develop all sorts of new staff positions and programs to administer all sorts of new regulation on new ordinances. If this is the solution you seek I am not the candidate for you. A government that is a careful steward of your money is the type of government that I will be an advocate for. I will be closely listening to your priorities and spending only where necessary to provide needed services.

The best way to expand revenue is to expand the tax base. This means new investment by small business and the private sector. The borough should aggressively foster a climate where business can thrive and develop. One way to achieve this is continued infrastructure improvements, specifically roads. The improvement of existing older roads and the improved maintenance of our rights-of way will allow for quality development and ease the movement of commerce, all of which add to the borough's bottom line. The borough needs to support the cities in their efforts to improve infrastructure such as ports and harbors, lending all available weight to projects that are used by all borough citizens. These indispensable facilities add to the quality of life that we all enjoy and create tremendous opportunities for business to thrive.

As facilities throughout the borough close (Agrium, BP GTL), fade in production, (oil,gas, LNG facility) and struggle with existing economic realities (tourism,fishing,real estate) The Kenai Peninsula Borough will need to be a vigilant and judicious in how it manages it's affairs. The time is now for a fiscally conservative approach to taxes and spending. It is critically important to keep a balanced budget and a reasonable fund balance for those "rainy days" that inevitably come. As the Assemblyman from District 9 I will champion responsiblity and restraint as it pertains to our needs and desires.