Governor to open office in Mat-Su

MAT-SU -- The details are still being discussed, but staff from Gov. Frank Murkowski's Juneau office said last week that a Mat-Su branch of the governor's office may be open before the end of the year.

The office, according to Becky Hultberg in Murkowski's Juneau press office, will be staffed with one person, and will likely fit into an existing state office in the Valley, although a location has not yet been determined for the office.

Hultberg said Murkowski decided to open the branch locations because he believes they served him well while he was in the U.S. Senate.

"The governor, as a senator, had those offices available for many years," Hultberg said. "He really understands the importance of having people in the Valley who report directly back to him."

Hultberg said the person who staffs the local office will be responsible for attending local community events and serve as a point of contact for people who have concerns about local issues they'd like to see the governor address.

"Complaints, problems with state government from constituents -- we want to hear that," Hultberg said. It'll be a different role than the legislative information office, she said, which is aimed at helping people understand the legislative process and serves as a way for people to contact legislators and their staff. Unlike legislative information offices, which are open in many communities around the state, Hultberg said the Kenai and Mat-Su branches of the governor's office are the only ones planned at this time.

"We have made a conscious decision that it's important to have a presence in the Mat-Su Valley and on the Kenai Peninsula," Hultberg said.

Because the governor's branch office will likely be squeezed into existing space leased by the state, Hultberg said personnel costs for the one-person office will be the primary expense. Hultberg said a person to staff the office has not yet been chosen to fill the position. It's possible, she said, the person could be selected from existing staff at the governor's office. When final decisions are made regarding the staff and location of the office, Hultberg said, an announcement about the opening date will be made.