WASILLA — Like their mayoral counterparts, five candidates are running for Wasilla City Council this year. Three seats are up for grabs — with one unopposed — and candidates are wrapping up pre-election activities ahead of Oct. 7’s ballot. Below are each candidate’s answers to a questionnaire from the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.

1. Briefly, what is the most significant challenge facing Wasilla?

2. The city was rocked by an ethics investigation over the summer. What would you do to ensure something like the Meritage situation never happens again. 3. How can Wasilla make more money without raising taxes?

4. Is Wasilla’s current growth — ie. big box stores, new, proposed developments — being handled correctly, or does it need to be changed? Why?

5. Why should voters vote for you?

Nancy Hall — Seat D

1. Wasilla has done a very good job attracting many retail jobs. Now we need to attract higher paying, professional jobs. This can be done by opening satellite offices or attracting outside businesses. We must add the cultural and recreational activities which these people are accustomed to having.

2. Better cooperation and communication between the city officials, planning commission and the council would help remedy this previous situation. Having a well-developed comprehensive plan, which gives us guidance for areas we wish to develop, where we want our infrastructure to extend and where we want growth, would help alleviate this in the future.

3. Convincing tourists to stop, spend time and stay in our community would add to the city’s income. The spotlight on Gov. Sarah Palin along with the new tourist bureau will increase tourism within our city.  

4. We need to continue with economic development. Now, we need to encourage higher-paying, professional jobs. Expansion of our airport, development of the industrial park and contact with Anchorage businesses to expand to the Valley should be encouraged.

5. I am well-educated, even tempered, open to comments and questions from my constituents, and have CDBG, HUD experience, which will help develop our city. I also look at all sides of issues.

Mary Kvalheim — Seat D

1. Growth and congestion and trying to maintain the hometown quality of life that so many of us want. Wasilla needs to work with other government entities, including the borough, state and federal transportation agencies, and Alaska Railroad. I support commuter rail for transporting commuters to Anchorage as well.

2. The “Meritage development fiasco” shows how important it is to elect people with direction and values with which you agree. I am supportive of ethics legislation that is presently being worked on by the council and, if they have not added a whistleblower’s portion to that legislation, I will work to do so.

3. I don’t think Wasilla needs to raise taxes for more money. We must look at what we have and make the most of it. For example, the Sports Complex could be used full time for more shows and presentations. Our new library should be built to serve multiple purposes. Again, it must be planned to meet all the needs of the community — workshops, training sessions, meeting rooms for rent.

4. All development must be treated fairly and laws applied equally. We must be certain to protect what is already in existence before impacting it even more. An example of this, that is connected with Meritage development, is the Whispering Woods area.  The residents of this area are already suffering an increase of speeding traffic. There are signs on this route saying closed to truck traffic but no ability to enforce this. And we all know traffic, be it commercial or residents, is going to increase on this route to access the shopping districts of Wasilla.

5. I offer 10 years of service to this community. I have served on the MSB Ethics Board, MSB Planning Commission for four years and on the Borough Assembly for two terms. My real hope for service in this seat is better communication between the cities and the Borough. Presently there are meetings of all bodies infrequently. Why not have meetings with a representative of each municipality at least quarterly? Together we can do so much more than we can alone.

Gretchen O’Barr — Seat C

1. The biggest challenge is encouraging the proper balance of policies from the city for development that still remembers the needs of the existing residents. Growth WILL happen — we can’t prevent it — but we can help control any negative effects on the city.

2. I agree 100 percent with the mayoral candidates who were asked this question and suggested better communications between everyone involved. The council members need to be made aware of details of proposals that involve our citizens. A more collaborative attitude would be helpful and I excel in this area.

3. We need to provide more city services and charge for them, like other cities do. Otherwise, we need to manage within our budget and not look for increased revenue.

4. Each situation needs to be examined independently. In general, I am excited about some of the stores coming to Wasilla. The term “big box” is an overused and worn-out phrase. Wal-Mart planned some elaborate greenbelts around its new Muldoon store in Anchorage and people were so contentious about changing the zoning that now they get the store and NOT the landscaping. Talk about shooting themselves in the foot! I don’t want that happening in Wasilla.

5. One of my strong points is a sense of humor — I almost always have a smile on my face. However, I know how to be serious when necessary and I believe in being honest. I am definitely a consensus builder and can “get along” with anyone who will meet me halfway. I can guarantee you would never find me in a compromising situation involving my ethics.

Leone Harris —Seat C

1. Transportation. We need to move forward with the Knik and Main Street Bypass using Yenlo and Talkeetna Street, and build the roads already approved by the city council.  Let’s make the commuter rail a priority and put it on the FAST track. Mass transit will not only save us money, but allow us time to read the paper and relax on our way to and from work.

2. We can place ethics codes calling it a violation, but those codes will only be heeded by folks who already have ethics! Perhaps we should consider making these kinds of offenses a misdemeanor subject to possible incarceration and a fine. Let them pay the restitution. It is an injustice that the person the people elected not only violated the people’s trust, but now forces the taxpayer to fund the restitution and/or a legal battle.

3. We must focus on showing prospective industry that Wasilla is the best place to do business in Alaska. We need to build the new railway station, extend the runway and attract industry. Along with developing the industry park at the airport, let’s also find a way to get the train and buses to stop and unload their passengers. This is where small and large businesses come in. Let’s let the private sector do what it does best, which is generate tax revenue and turn a profit.

4. It needs to be changed. They are not coming here to do us a big favor. They are coming here because they KNOW we are the commerce center of the Valley. We should welcome aesthetic growth with open arms as long as they contribute to the infrastructures needed to accommodate the additional traffic they will create.  

5. I have a vision for Wasilla and a desire to make it a better place. I have invested the time to research the issues by talking to city officials, studying the budget, looking over the long-term plans, calling tour companies to find out what needs to happen to have the trains  and buses stop in Wasilla, and I have been knocking on doors throughout the city to find out what people’s concerns are. I have already proven that I am willing to put forth the effort and the time necessary to represent what the people of Wasilla.

Ron Cox — Seat A

1.(1) Fiscal responsibility and ethics, (2) the traffic problem, (3) the infrastructure of the city.

2.  The existing council has reworked the city codes to prevent situations like that from happening in the future. It would not be prudent for me to say what I would do at this time without having studied the council’s work.

3. Increasing the sales tax base by adding more new businesses and new jobs.

4. Big box stores are a creation of this generation, so let’s live with them. Having said that, I believe that we should go after other higher-paying professions and businesses, i.e. the increased tax base.

5. WHY NOT? I AM.

Contact Michael Rovito at michael.rovito@frontiersman.com or 352-2252.