DeVilbiss to face new challenges as Mat-Su Borough mayor

There’s a new sheriff at the Mat-Su Borough administration building.

Larry DeVilbiss, a longtime Valley farmer and political figure, has been sworn in as the new borough mayor. He’s a former assemblyman, school board member and occupies a seat on the Matanuska Electric Association’s board of directors. He’s had his fingers in many Valley political pies for years.

While borough and local officials were all smiles and handshakes at this weekend’s swearing in and Mayor’s Ball events, make no mistake — DeVilbiss has a unique style and pulls no punches. He’s already expressed a desire to open assembly meetings with a prayer (we wouldn’t be surprised if that move prompted some prayers at the borough attorney’s office — possibly for strength and endurance) and he has announced plans that will likely overhaul the makeup of many borough commissions and committees.

The people — at least the 10 percent to 12 percent who bothered to vote in the special elections in October and January — voted against a strong mayor type of government, and voted that DeVilbiss should be that mayor.

But don’t expect Mayor DeVilbiss to be hampered by the position’s limited powers. Powers that come with his new part-time job include: leading Assembly meetings, voting to break ties, vetoing Assembly actions, signing documents on the borough’s behalf, appointing members to borough boards and commissions and being the public face of the borough at events. And he receives an annual salary of $19,325 a year plus benefits and expenses.

We’re confident he’ll be about as strong a mayor as our system will allow. And that’s good. The last thing the Valley needs is a wishy-washy figurehead who blindly follows whispered advice and only warms the mayor’s seat on the chance he may have to break a tie vote.

Although the borough mayor’s power is limited, it’s not a position for a disinterested leader.

And Mayor DeVilbiss is anything but. That he will continue to hold his elected seat on the MEA board while serving as borough mayor, another elected position, is telling. And troubling.

He has said he believes he can represent both constituencies without a conflict of interest. That may be true, but this is a tightrope he must walk with care.

We’ll be among the many Valley eyes and ears watching and listening with interest to the nascent DeVilbiss administration.

Congratulations Mayor DeVilbiss on your newest honor. We wish you success and hope you will maintain your willingness to listen and come to the aid of all your neighbors — even when you disagrees with their views.