2018 election: Borough mayor race up in smoke

Incumbent Mat-Su Borough Mayor Vern Halter faces harsh criticism from his opponent Bruce Walden. Halter hopes to serve his second three-year term as mayor and continue work on roads and schools that he helped orchestrate. Walden sees the economy as a major issue and hopes to bring new profit into the Valley.

Vern Halter

Halter lives in Willow and mushes dogs. He is a former Yukon Quest champion and has run the Iditarod multiple times. He lives in his second homestead in Willow after he came to the Valley to stay for the summer 42 years ago. He has served as a judge and attorney and wants to continue the work he began.

“I want 85 troopers,” Halter said.

Halter addressed the crime issues in the Valley and hopes that the Alaska State Troopers can fund their positions. Halter also feels strongly about the air quality issue that has been plaguing the Butte and wants to quell rumors that he is out to get your wood stove.

“All of a sudden somebody says the borough’s going to take your wood stove. Well that is complete garbage, that’s what I want everybody to know,” Halter said. “There will be vetoes. I don’t veto much but there would be a veto if there was anything even close to that because I believe it’s a method of heating that’s pretty well established in Alaska.”

Halter would rather fund troopers than a commuter rail, but still has high hopes for the LNG project. He hopes that the project would bring a major economic boom to the Valley.

“We are to some extent a bedroom community and there’s nothing wrong with that,” Halter said.

Halter notes that the transportation bond is vital due to the continual growth of the area. He’s proud of some of the work he’s done as mayor.

“The school funding ordinance which I’m very pleased with because I think it will take the politics out of it,” Halter said. “The new tax cap, an absolute tax cap with a mill rate of 10.5. The old one allowed it to grow three-quarter percent a year. That puts a little bit of teeth into things.”

Halter is frustrated with the Knik-Goose Bay construction, but hopes that will be improved sooner rather than later. He wants to continue work he’s begun.

“Finishing those projects is really important to me.”

Bruce Walden

Walden served as a green beret and now works for the federal courthouses. He commutes to Anchorage every day and wants to see more economic growth in the Valley so that residents don’t have to commute.

“The main reason why I’m running is we don’t really have any commerce going here. We’ve got to do something about that. What that’ll be we’re still looking into,” Walden said. “I’ve been told that you’re just going to have to get used to the idea that we’re a bedroom for Anchorage. No. I’m not okay with that. We’re the second biggest population center in the state of Alaska and we’re the fastest growing.”

Walden describes his job as being a rent-a-bailiff and wants to see family sustaining jobs in the Mat-Su.

“I’m just looking around and seeing what’s not happening and I’m not throwing off on the current mayor, I’m sure he’s a very good person but the bottom line is that don’t cut it,” Walden said.

Walden would like to see further resource development in the Valley. Walden says the state has a bad habit of using taxpayer money to fund projects that never get off the ground.

“The only thing they can come up with to make money is just keep raising their property taxes. There are only a few things that government is expected to do, but right now we’re so broke and we’re running so deep in deficit right now we can’t even do the things that government is expected to do and that’s why I want to bring in some business. I want to bring in some commerce here,” Walden said.

Walden worked for a company that rapidly built airstrips and sees a need for industry investment in the state. He describes the LNG project as dead in the water and says there needs to be more economic growth.

“We have got to become business friendly and the big joke is they need to have a sign when you come into the state that says welcome to Alaska closed for business and i found that to be true,” Walden said. “Back in those days we had a get it done attitude we could do anything we were Alaskans, man.”