Houston residents turn out for candidate forum

Residents from the Houston community had the opportunity to meet the candidates running for city council and listen as they took part in a candidate forum last week.

The event, held on Sept. 18 at Houston City Hall, was hosted by the Mat-Su Sentinel editor Amy Bushatz, who gathered questions submitted from residents, with topics ranging from a possible tax increase to road maintenance, which remains a hot topic for most residents.

When asked what his top priorities are for Houston, candidate Ron Bass said he would like to create a food bank, expand natural gas, and bring a spirit of respect and unity to our city council.

“We don’t solve problems by tearing each other down. We solve them by listening, working together, and lifting one another up.”

Councilman David Childs, who also serves as the Deputy Mayor, said he wants to stay focused on building a community that families want to live in and businesses want to invest in and make decisions reflective of what the community values and needs.

The other candidates — Callie Courtney, Jason Kahn, Dan Lewis, and Laurie Faubert — echoed the sentiments of unity, teamwork, and putting citizens’ needs first, while also acknowledging roads remain a top priority.

There are also several ballot items for Houston voters will have to decide on, including the proposed airport, a temporary tax hike from 2% to 4% until 2031, with the additional revenue to be used on road improvements, as well as two proposals for official city holidays, including making Founder’s Day an official holiday and the Matanuska Thunder Festival as an official city holiday.

Early voting began Sept. 22 and is open weekdays 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday through Monday Oct. 6. Elections for local Houston, Wasilla, and Palmer elections is Oct. 7.