Assembly candidates talk tourism, coal, bonds

WASILLA — The topic on the table was tourism, but candidates for Mat-Su Borough Assembly sounded off on coal and bond propositions at a forum Friday.

All three would-be assembly members were present at the forum, part of the Mat-Su Convention and Visitors Bureau’s September Luncheon. Steve Colligan and Pat Johnson are squaring off for the Wasilla seat. Darcie Salmon is running unopposed for the Knik/Big Lake seat.

Johnson described himself as a fiscal conservative and said he knows the value of thinking about and researching a decision before making it.

“We could have used more thought on the Susitna ferry, for example,” he said, referencing the M/V Susitna, which the borough is due to take delivery of but which can’t shuttle cars and drivers between Point MacKenzie and Anchorage because no docks exist on either side of Cook Inlet for the ship.

Colligan described himself as a businessman and said the borough needs good business sense on the assembly.

“Everybody in this economy wants to fight over the last dollar,” he said. But he’d like to see business partner with government, “so that we’re not fighting over the last dollars.”

Salmon said he’s running because some things he started when he served as mayor of the borough are coming to fruition and he’d like to be there for that.

“Some of them are really, really close,” he said.

In particular, he was talking about development at Port MacKenzie, a rail spur to the port and that ferry Johnson mentioned. As it happens, that ferry was the first question out of the gate. Candidates were asked if they support the project and if it can bolster tourism.

“I don’t support the ferry,” Colligan said, noting that the vessel is a naval prototype with cutting edge technology. “As a technology designer I am impressed, but I’m not impressed by the cost and complexity to operate.”

He also noted that the state’s ferry system has never run without subsidies and draws $120 million a year from the budget.

Johnson said he’d like to see the ferry put to work so it’s not just a liability to the borough. Using it as intended as a Cook Inlet ferry is one option.

“Another possibility is to make it a long-term lease to the oil industry,” he said.

As for Salmon who was mayor when the ferry project began, “It would be disingenuous for me to pretend like I’m not in favor of the ferry,” he said.

The ferry was always intended to drive construction of a bridge to Anchorage. But just because a bridge seems like a possibility doesn’t mean the ferry isn’t needed, he said.

“We have to pull the trigger sometime. You don’t just start projects and declare them dead like they attempted to do with the prison,” Salmon said, referencing the state Legislature’s hand-wringing over costs to operate the soon-to-be-complete Goose Creek Correctional Center in Point MacKenzie.

The question about coal mining asked how large-scale mining would impact the borough. The question has been on a lot of minds lately as Usibelli Coal looks at starting up a mine between Sutton and Palmer.

“The people in this room who are selling tourism are going to have a tough time with the mine in place,” Johnson said, noting that Wishbone Hill, where the mine is proposed, is also prime hunting territory. “My family has taken a lot of moose off of that hill.”

He said the mine will bring jobs and the state will decide if it happens, but “I’m not a big supporter of coal.”

Salmon, for his part, took a wait-and-see approach.

“It would be a fallacy of asserting the untestable for me to assert to you today what the long-term impacts of coal mining would be,” Salmon said.

Colligan said he supports resource development, which includes mining.

“It doesn’t have to be all or nothing,” Colligan said, elaborating that he thinks mining can coexist with tourism. “I think it’s time for our community to have an engaging discussion, not a fight.”

On the topic of bonds, there was a surprising amount of agreement around the table. All three candidates said they support both the $215 million package of school bonds and the $31 million package of road bonds on the upcoming ballot.

“I enthusiastically support both bonds,” Johnson said.

He said schools are overcrowded, especially Wasilla High School, which his son attended. And the bonds are a five-year package.

“The good thing is they won’t be coming back for five years to ask for more money,” he said.

Salmon said he supports the school bonds but worries voters might not, since there might be some sticker shock when seeing how much they cost.

For his part, Colligan said he lives two and a half blocks from Wasilla High School, but is technically in the Colony High School attendance area because there has been so much growth down Knik-Goose Bay Road.

“Normally I wouldn’t be jumping up and down over a $215 million bond package,” he said.

But the package will build a high school on Knik-Goose Bay Road and alleviate the overcrowding in Wasilla. He said he also is a fan of putting people to work.

“It’s a jobs bill in the short term,” he said.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.