Endle, Sykes agree on virtually nothing at AARP debate

PALMER — In the race for the only contested seat on the Mat-Su Borough Assembly, incumbent Jim Sykes and challenger Brian Endle agree on virtually nothing.

Twenty-one days from the election to decide which of them will sit in representation of District 1, a debate presented by AARP and hosted at The Annex in downtown Palmer, brought those disagreements to a froth.

Endle, young and unapologetically driven by conservative ideology, came up in local politics with the Buffalo/Soapstone Community Council, ultimately becoming its president before being appointed to the borough’s planning commission by then-Mayor Larry DeVilbiss in 2013. That term ended in December of 2015, and he planned his run for the seat in January.

In his introductory address at Wednesday night’s panel, he traced his interest in running for the assembly seat to fight what he sees as a ‘tax-and-spend’ agenda that’s overtaken the body. As a more personal factor, Endle cited the borough’s zoning practices as it regarded his property.

Sykes counters that since the assembly position itself is non-partisan, the debate should be, too.

So when the question from moderator LaMarr Anderson asked what could be done to lure more businesses into the Mat-Su Borough, the contrasts between the candidates became stark.

“There’s a natural attraction for a lot of employers here, but there aren’t rules to protect their investment,” Sykes said. “They don’t know whether they’ll be next to a junkyard or a medical waste facility. There is very little zoning.”

Endle disagreed with the notion that zoning attracts business entirely.

“I don’t agree with zoning,” Endle said. “They tried to zone our place… Jim talks about transparency, but with zoning it needs to come out. The borough needs to work with businesses to create incentives.”

After the debate, Endle elucidated his point.

“I’m not in favor of zoning without good transparency and the borough doesn’t have that now,” he said. “We’re a borough, not a city, for one. When a borough tries to impose zoning on a given place… I’m not for that, unless they change their method.”

Sykes and Endle continued to have opposing views on everything:

• Usibelli Mining (Endle all for it; Sykes for it if it’s economically viable)

• Anti-marijuana proposition (Sykes not taking a position but concerned its passage would preclude medicinal uses; while Endle helped get the measure on the ballot)

• Second-hand smoke initiative (Sykes for it; Endle not taking a position, but not wanting to infringe on anyone’s rights to smoke either)

• Gravel extraction tax (Sykes for it; Endle against it, like all tax increases)

• Matanuska River flooding (Endle for mining the river, as had been done in the past; Sykes committed to a buyout of area residents in the flood plain)

• Proposition for recreational facilities bond (Endle preferring the litany of improvements to be voted on one by one; Sykes considering the package a reasonable deal for property owners, estimating it would cost $3.80 a month on an average home)

Even on the seemingly harmless question of — “The Beatles or the Rolling Stones” there could be no harmony — Sykes choosing the Beatles because their musicality is more diverse and Endle opting out of the choice because he’s too young and is not a fan of rock music.

At closing remarks, both candidates returned to speaking about their differences in how political ideologies should be applied.

“I believe I’m the true conservative in this race. I believe we’re both working hard, but I expect to win, and I’m going forward in that manner,” Endle said in his conclusion, and in an answer to the previous question stated, “I am a Republican; I do agree with the Republican platform the way it’s written. I believe that sets me apart from my opponent.”

Sykes argued again for the importance of non-partisanship in borough government.

“If you really do have an agenda or singular political belief as to how you see the world, it’s going to be a little difficult,” he said.

“We’re all at the same table; all working on the same problems. I know Brian has been working with the Republican Party, but this is a totally non-partisan issue. The potholes don’t belong to a liberal or a conservative.”

If that’s so, Endle countered, then why did Sykes find it necessary to change his party affiliation in recent years?

“He is a registered Republican, but he’s also been a part of the Green Party — he probably brought the Green Party to Alaska,” Endle said. “If party affiliation has nothing to do with the borough, then why change to Republican? Stay Green. That’s the way I would l see it.”

After the debate, Sykes said he understands Endle’s strategy.

“I know what he’s trying to do,” Sykes said. “There are more registered Republicans than any other party (in the borough). But in Alaska history, there’s more independent voters than all the parties put together. Democrats and Republicans act like they own the place, like they do in other states, but in reality, there are more non-partisans than either.”

The final head-to-head matchup before the Oct. 4 election is slated for Wednesday evening, hosted by the Palmer Chamber of Commerce.