Assembly busts idea of area police powers

June 26, 2005

DARRELL L. BREESE/Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - Leaving the kids at home while you go on vacation is always a cause for concern.

Will everything be all right when you get back? Will they do something they're not supposed to, leaving a mess for you to clean up? Will they break something important? These are all worries that could spoil your vacation.

For Mat-Su Borough Mayor Tim Anderson, the concerns he had when he took vacation time this week were similar with regard to the Borough Assembly. A proponent for a borough police force, Anderson drafted an ordinance that was slated for introduction during Tuesday's assembly meeting.

"The mayor's going to be upset," assemblyman and Deputy Mayor Jim Colver said from the chairman's seat after a 4-3 vote rejected the introduction of the legislation for assembly consideration. Assembly members Betty Vehrs, Mary Kvalheim and Colver supported the introduction.

The vote stalls the process that would have put the question of establishing a Borough Police Department before the voters on the October general election ballot.

"I m not comfortable asking the voters to approve something that would have a major impact on their property taxes without a full disclosure of what it will cost," assemblyman Bill Allen said. "The people have a right to the financial particulars, before we can ask them to create a police force."

Walter Gilmour, former director of the Alaska State Troopers, estimated that approximately 31 additional officers are needed in the borough.

In a report provided to the assembly, he added that the troopers estimate it will cost more than $170,000 annually in salary, benefits and other work-related expenses for each new officer. For the 31 officers needed, it would cost the borough $5.6 million.

Additionally, the borough would need to purchase the infrastructure necessary for the operation of the police force, which would include buildings for station and sub-stations, jails, dispatch services and vehicles.

The city of Wasilla has budgeted $105,000 for the purchase of three new police cruisers in its 2006 fiscal year capital budget, or $35,000 per car.

"I don't think any of us (the assembly) questions the need for additional policing in areas of the borough is evident," Colver said. "The number of burglaries has almost double, and most of them that occur outside the city of Palmer and Wasilla jurisdictions are going uninvestigated by the state troopers. Violent crime is increasing, and the number of meth drug labs continues to be a problem.

"The big question is that if voters grant the borough police powers, how are we going to pay for it." Colver added.

Anderson drafted the ordinance and specifically left the question of funding to be answered by voters during the 2006 election.

During the June 7 regular meeting, Anderson stated that he saw no reason that the voters cannot decide whether the borough has police powers during the 2005 election and if approved address the issue of funding in the next election.

The assembly will attempt to re-draft the police powers ordinance during a July 12 work session and prepare a suitable ordinance for introduction during the July 19 regular meeting.

"We have our work cut out if we want to get this on the ballot in October," Colver said. "We're facing time deadlines to do the advertising and hold the required public hearings."

"I am comfortable delaying action on this issue until such a time when we can make an amendment or draft new legislation that will include some financial disclosure," Allen said.