After I was elected to the Haines Borough Assembly, the Mayor of Bethel, Alaska, told me, “When you run for office, you have all kinds of plans to get things done. Then you spend most of your time in office just making sure worse things don’t happen.”
His words proved true. Two proposals particularly – greatly expanding municipal spending on solid waste and expanding the police jurisdiction exponentially – amounted to “worse things happening.”
I believe they would have cost the borough more than $1 million annually.
With Brenda Josephson’s support, half the assembly was able to turn back those proposals (that came from borough administration – not the citizenry) and save money that is critical today as COVID-19 and climate change rack up costs.
Josephson’s vote also defeated proposals to require building permits for any new construction anywhere in the borough and require eaves be built over outdoor fuel lines. If you believe the biggest borough issues are Constantine and a gun sanctuary, you’re not paying close attention. The issue that most significantly affects your daily life is how your tax money is spent at city hall. That will determine the future of services and borough facilities and shape your quality of life.
I’ve disagreed with Brenda Josephson many times and I expect to in the future. But I trust Brenda’s judgment on the most important issue, and I respect her fierce independence and questioning mind. These are both rare and necessary for local government to succeed. I’m voting for Brenda Josephson.
Tom Morphet