Frontiersman Editorial

August 28, 2007

Borough nearly falls off slippery slope

The Mat-Su Borough assembly and manager have a reputation for quick action in changing regulations to protect its residents when necessary.

When questionable legislation was proposed to allow coal bed methane development at the expense of property owners, the borough quickly stepped in to protect those interests.

When Matanuska Electric Association announced its proposal to build a coal-fired electric generation plant, once again the borough quickly reacted by drafting ordinances to protect the interests of borough residents.

Last week's proposal from Assemblywoman Michelle Church to amend Borough regulations to allow the Borough to use its resources to promote ballot initiatives and questions, either in favor or against, tarnished that reputation.

While we understand the Borough as an entity has its druthers when it comes to what's on any given ballot and how residents should vote, it is highly inappropriate. A report produced by Borough staff said Church's amendment would allow the Borough to &#8220state how a particular proposition will affect Borough taxpayers and the community at large.”

That the Borough has a need to disseminate such information is debatable. Who decides what information is necessary and how it's presented as affecting the Borough? How is this different from residents and voters reading about election issues in their hometown newspaper or reading the ballot language itself?

But where this truly becomes dangerous waters to tread is the Borough using its resources to influence the outcome of an election.

That the Borough is simply attempting to respond to what residents want, as shown in the results of a recent survey, is a stretch.

Assembly Member Tom Kluberton said the amendment is an attempt to correct public dissatisfaction. He said the survey results show Mat-Su Valley voters believe the Borough falls short on disseminating information and professional opinions. We saw that same survey and its results, and find it takes walking on a tightrope to come to that conclusion.

It is more reasonable to interpret that survey information as the Borough needs to be open and transparent in how it does business and in its dissemination of public information. It does not indicate the public wants the Borough to spend taxpayer money promoting, pro or con, ballot initiatives.

Should the Borough enact this policy, or one similar to it, all of us could end up paying for political advertising placed by the Borough extolling the evils and/or the benefits of various ballot questions. Suppose there's a candidate the Borough or its assembly would rather see in office or not see in office. Should the Borough be allowed to use its resources to affect the outcome of the election?

We think not.

There other more appropriate avenues for the Borough to get its message across to the public. Assembly members aren't barred for speaking with anyone at any time about what they think of any issue, and the Borough's manager could include information in his regular reports to the assembly, which are heard during open meetings.

Borough employees and those elected officials, including the assembly, need a reminder that they are there to work for the people, not decide for the public what that work should be. There will undoubtedly be many occasions where the Borough would rather see a particular proposition fail and another succeed. There's a difference between disseminating facts about issues, like how a tax increase would affect property valuation, and actively working to affect the outcome of the vote.

Fortunately, the amendment was unanimously voted down after some of the dangers were presented, and we congratulate the assembly for making the right decision. That it was proposed at all should concern every taxpayer and resident of the Mat-Su Borough.

It was excessive meddling in the public process by government that sparked a small group of malcontents to dump a load of tea into Boston Harbor some 234 years ago. Let's not let history's lessons fall on deaf ears.