2021 Election: Wasilla City Council

The city of Wasilla opened early voting on Sept. 20 for the Wasilla City Council elections. There are two seats available with four candidates running for Council. Of the four candidates, three have prior experience on the Council but only Jordan Rausa is running for reelection. Former Wasilla Councilwoman and Alaska House Representative Colleen Sullivan-Leonard is running for another term on the council after her absence, as well as former Deputy Mayor Stu Graham. Dajonee Hale is also running for a seat on the Wasilla Council. Election day is Oct. 5 and polling places are located at Wasilla Middle School and Wasilla City Hall.

The candidates each completed questionnaires for the Frontiersman.

Seat A: Jordan Rousa

Q: If elected, how would you work to assist local businesses as a member of the Wasilla city council?

A: I have consistently advocated for city government not requiring more from residents and business owners than is expected of itself. It is my conviction that the City of Wasilla should lead the pack when it comes to landscape development, maintenance, and construction. I advocate for the City of Wasilla bearing the burdens of expansion more so than what is expected from small businesses and private land owners.

Q: If elected, what changes would you support within the policies and procedures of the Wasilla Police Department, if any?

A: I have consistently advocated for a continual assessment of our policing strategies. I will continue to press city finance to ensure that our officers are trained, equipped, and compensated in lock-step with top agencies. Public safety is where community begins, and our police officers are the pillars of that entire structure.

Q: If elected, what strategies would you employ to assist the houseless and homeless residents of Wasilla, if any?

A: I am an advocate for appointing a small task force of city employees to begin seeking solutions for our homeless population. This might be a new subject for the City of Wasilla, but there are other communities in Alaska and many more outside of Alaska who have developed successful strategies for assisting this vulnerable population. We must start by employing solutions that other communities have found success in, and adjust from there.

Q: If elected, how would you plan to use your time in office to improve the city of Wasilla?

A: I am for establishing road construction and reconstruction standards within the City of Wasilla. There are currently no formally adopted standards for city funded projects. In the same way that the city has standards for private development, we need to adopt standards for city projects that ‘set the bar’. We can be using repaving projects and the like as opportunities to bury utilities, install curbs with storm drains and sidewalks, develop landscaping elements along city rights-of-way to include garbage receptacles, lighting, benches, etc.

Q: Why did you decide to run for City Council and why do you feel Wasilla residents should vote for you?

A: I am a resident of the City of Wasilla, and will be for a long time, and do not see my position on the City Council as “political”. I am serving on the City Council to advocate for city residents to our local government. City residents can be assured that my decisions are objectively aligned with the common person.

Seat B: Dajonee Hale

My name is DaJonee Hale and I’m very excited for the incredible opportunity to be running for Wasilla City Council and help improve our community. I’m asking for a voice at the Wasilla City Council table to represent for a demographic that is not currently represented.

As an Alaska Native and Black woman, I have a history of leadership and effective teamwork. I have always thrived in team environments. As a person with lived experience, I would be honored to work with Wasilla City Council members to represent for a very vulnerable population in the City. I overcame homelessness after being on the streets of Anchorage to earning a basketball scholarship that led me to being a Summa Cum Laude college graduate, National Player of the Year, 2x Player of the Year, Professional Women’s Basketball player and successful advocate and Project Manager for MY House. After years of being a client for MY House, I returned as a Project Manager and Mat-Su Youth Advocate. Recently, I accepted a position with the Alaska Coalition Housing & Homelessness as a Mat-Su Youth Support Specialist and Project Manager. I love giving back to the community that supported me for the years as I was working toward my goals and accomplishments.

Focusing on younger generations and continue to build a healthier community is vital to me. While also focusing on solving problems and addressing growing pains in the City and supporting economic growth and infrastructure is a priority.

My life experiences required hard work to overcome challenges and I’m not afraid to buckle down and apply my experience and knowledge to find solutions that produce successful outcomes. I would love the opportunity to work with the existing Council members as well the Mayor to support healthy economic growth, adequate and sustainable social services to support those in need and continue the spirit of connectedness that we experience as a City.

Thank you for allowing me to introduce myself!

Editor’s note: Hale chose to provide a bio rather than the questionnaire.

Seat B: Stu Graham

Q: If elected, how would you work to assist local businesses as a member of the Wasilla city council?

A: Providing increased police presence in our businesses and surrounding areas is a priority. Increased enforcement needs to be driven by input from the business community and funded by the City Council to be effective. Businesses know the business community best and don’t need the City telling them how to run their businesses – the City needs to support businesses in ways they say are best.

Q: If elected, what changes would you support within the policies and procedures of the Wasilla Police Department, if any?

A: The Wasilla Police Department needs to be fully staffed and have a reserve officer program. Existing procedures and policies, with frequent internal reviews, serve our city well and no significant changes are needed.

Q: If elected, what strategies would you employ to assist the houseless and homeless residents of Wasilla, if any?

A: Homeless families and individuals must be aware of the help available to them. Our non-profit community and government agencies have multiple layers of support available and the City has to be able to refer the homeless to the appropriate resources.

Q: If elected, how would you plan to use your time in office to improve the city of Wasilla?

A: The citizens and businesses in Wasilla must be listened to because they know best what the city needs. I have a history of seeking input and acting on those ideas and requests. I will work to continue to improve roads, to improve police protection, to preserve and improve recreational opportunities available in our city, and to assure our citizens and businesses have a vocal advocate on the City Council.

Q: Why did you decide to run for City Council and why do you feel Wasilla residents should vote for you?

A: I am passionate about having Wasilla be a great place to live, work and play. My consistent community leadership includes serving on boards of directors for several non-profit organizations and on the board of the chamber of commerce at the local and state level. Two terms on the Wasilla City Council allowed me to strengthen our city infrastructure, improve quality of life and enhance protection of our citizens and property. And my service on the board and as president of the Alaska Municipal League (where 165 Alaskan communities and boroughs work together to solve common problems and implement positive changes statewide) provides me with a unique ability to work with lawmakers of both parties and find and implement ideas that work to make our city better. I’m excited about returning to serve the citizens and businesses of Wasilla through another term on the council.

Seat A: Colleen Sullivan-Leonard

Q: If elected, how would you work to assist local businesses as a member of the Wasilla city council?

A: I believe the City of Wasilla has done a great job of partnering with local businesses to assist in their success. One item I would concentrate on is crime in and around our businesses. It is troubling to me that our businesses must endure theft and drug related crimes which affects our community and their bottom line. I would look at a Business Watch program to help coordinate efforts between Law Enforcement Officers and local businesses to stop criminals in the act and to ward off efforts to steal from businesses.

Q: If elected, what changes would you support within the policies and procedures of the Wasilla Police Department, if any?

A: I think the Wasilla Police Department has done an outstanding job in keeping our community safe. I would renew Park Rangers in the summer overseeing our Public Parks and possibly establishing a Community Patrol to assist in helping our community stay safe.

Q: If elected, what strategies would you employ to assist the houseless and homeless residents of Wasilla, if any?

A: The basic life necessities are food, shelter and clothing and when our citizens are lacking in any of the three then we need to help. There are programs out there presently through various social agencies that helps those in need. Some families may also need livable wage jobs and they can be directed to our local Job Centers to help them in their endeavor to work.

Q: If elected, how would you plan to use your time in office to improve the city of Wasilla?

A: The City of Wasilla has an outstanding record of supporting our local businesses and residents, I am very proud of that fact. My priorities are to work with the city to make sure we pave roads that need it, work with the state to establish a bypass, or arterial routes around Wasilla to stop the major traffic jams that occur in Wasilla. I would also work on the city budget to ensure our public dollars are being used for public purpose with accountability and transparency in government budgeting.

Q: Why did you decide to run for City Council and why do you feel Wasilla residents should vote for you?

A: I have a passion to serve my community, it’s a great city that many would be fortunate to work and live in. I like local government because it is the closest to our residents and they can be most vocal and connected to their elected officials. I have had the good fortune of serving in the capacity of Planning Commissioner and Council Member.