The following includes edited excerpts of CVN interviews with this year’s mayoral candidates. Jan Hill,70, is the incumbent who is serving her fourth term as Mayor. She was raised in Haines and earned a bachelor’s degree in early childcare education from Seattle Central Community College. She helped start the Haines Head Start preschool program and taught […]
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Posted inNews, Haines Borough
Doug Olerud running for mayor
Business owner and former borough assembly member Doug Olerud is running for Mayor in this October’s municipal election. Olerud owns and manages the Alaska Sport Shop and served on the former city council and assembly for nine years. He said recent challenges facing the borough due to the pandemic, along with public support, motivated him to seek […]
Posted inNews
Manager addresses assembly, mayor after her termination
Former Haines Borough manager Debra Schnabel on Tuesday night addressed the assembly members and Mayor who fired her last week, and placed final responsibility on Mayor Jan Hill, who broke a 3-3 tie vote in favor of firing Schnabel. “This decision was yours,” Schnabel told Hill. “I am very disappointed. It seems to me that this could have been an opportunity to lead, […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Mayor finishes the job
The gist of last week’s lead news story was straight forward enough: assembly fires manager. Yes, several assembly members are on record for creating and supporting this premature and divisive personnel crisis. And that record sadly also includes assembly member Paul Rogers’ particularly mean-spirited words (which were so unbecoming to his office that he should […]
Posted inNews
Assembly narrowly fires manager: mayor breaks tie
The Haines Borough Assembly voted Tuesday evening to fire borough manager Debra Schnabel without cause, with Mayor Jan Hill breaking a 3-3 tie vote. Assembly member Jerry Lapp, Stephanie Scott and Zephyr Sincerny were opposed to the motion to fire Schnabel while members Paul Rogers, Brenda Josephson, Gabe Thomas and Jan Hill voted in support. The assembly met in executive session with its attorney for more than […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Mayor isn’t holding community together
Resigning our borough manager, for grievances from another assembly member—not convictions—speaks to the lack of ability for our Mayor to hold our community together in these trying times. How could Mayor Hill not speak up against this and then proceed directly to express the need for the community to come together during these difficult times? Eliminating a vital member […]
Posted inNews
Mayor Hill recommended for a temporary raise
Haines Borough assembly member Jerry Lapp suggested during Tuesday’s regular meeting that Mayor Jan Hill be given a $500 per month raise. Lapp said Hill deserved the raise because of the extra work she’s been doing during the COVID-19 emergency, and that it should be in effect until the borough’s emergency declaration ends. Because the suggested raise was not on […]
Posted inNews
Assembly postpones facilities director hire, mayor silences Morphet
The Haines Borough Assembly on Tuesday unanimously delayed approving new public facilities director, Ed Coffland, until December 10 when a new assembly is seated. He will continue to work unconfirmed until that time. Borough manager Debra Schnabel hired Coffland last week to replace former public facilities director Brad Ryan, who accepted a borough manager position in Skagway. Coffland is […]
Posted inNews
Scammer posing as Mayor Hill steals from residents
It starts with a generic question. A one-liner email appears in your inbox from what appears to be Haines Borough Mayor Jan Hill. “Are you available?” The recipient responds. It escalates. “The Mayor says, ‘I’m in a bind. I’m stuck in Juneau and I lost my wallet, can you do me the favor of going and getting gift cards and […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Our mayor was in the right
I was disgusted but not surprised by the attacks by liberal members of the Borough Assembly against Mayor Jan Hill. She owes no one an apology or explanation as to her comments regarding INSANE Tier 3 designation of the Chilkat River. Jan was born and raised here. She knows better than most the importance of a balanced economy. […]