Experienced official vs. novice in District 6 race

Oct. 1, 2006

By Michael Rovito

Frontiersman

PALMER - A school board member and a citizen who recently sued the Mat-Su Borough will go head-to-head for the Mat-Su Borough Assembly's District 6 seat at Tuesday's election.

Nola Bragg, a retired state worker from Wasilla, just doesn't think the borough assembly has a good image with the public, and, if elected, that is one of the first things she aims to change.

&#8220The assembly needs to start listening to citizens,” Bragg said, &#8220not going with minds made up already before anybody says anything.”

During a phone interview Wednesday, Bragg said one of the main reasons she decided to run for an assembly seat is the recent adoption of Title 27 in the borough.

&#8220It didn't seem to concern them what the people wanted,” Bragg said. &#8220With Title 27, it's kind of like one size fits all.”

Bragg, who recently lost a tobacco tax lawsuit against the borough, said there needs to be a definition of what is core and what is rural.

That definition was mulled by the current assembly and eventually deemed unreasonable because of the unpredictability of future growth.

Bragg went on to mention her own struggle with subdividing 4 acres of land, saying she is worried for other private landowners who will, she said, be unable to afford a subdivision under the new Title 27 regulations.

Rob Wells, Bragg's opponent for District 6, also has development on his mind.

The nine-year school board member served on the assembly from 1991-1997, and places infrastructure and roads at the top of his borough to-do list.

&#8220I think I can bring some constructive, experienced leadership to the board,” Wells said.

Both candidates have similar perspectives on the Mat-Su's economic future, saying the borough should be open for business.

&#8220We want to have responsible businesses that bring higher paying jobs and more professional jobs,” Wells said, adding that environmentally responsible businesses also are a great addition to the borough.

Wells also supports the natural resources market, but says keeping up with present growth in the area should be a high priority for the assembly.

Answers from Bragg and Wells are polar opposites when asked why they should be chosen over their opponent.

The fact that Bragg, a former state worker who dealt with multimillion dollar budget management, is not a politician is exactly the reason she's the one for the job, she said.

&#8220I can relate to what ordinary people think and want,” she said, adding that, since she is retired, she will have plenty of time to work for her constituents.

Wells, however, touts his many years of experience in elected office as a quality that will put him over with voters Tuesday.

&#8220I think my experience on both bodies (school board and assembly) gives me some perspective that I can help move us all forward instead of getting locked up in oppositional positions,” Wells said.

He added that he is not a career government person, but has plenty of experience in leadership positions, some with the Division of Agriculture and the largest chapter of the state's Farm Bureau.

He also is executive director of the Mat-Su Resource, Conservation and Development Council, a regional, nonprofit corporation.

District 6 includes the areas of Hatcher Pass, Wasilla-Fishhook, Schrock and Memory Lake, according to a borough Web site. Wells and Bragg are competing for the seat formerly held by Jim Colver, who has reached the end of his term limit.

Contact Michael Rovito at 352-2252 or michael.rovito@

frontiersman.com