Many incumbents intend to seek re-election

MAT-SU — The upcoming Oct. 2 general election promises to have many familiar faces seeking re-election.

Monday marks the opening of the filing period for local candidates in municipal elections through the Mat-Su Borough. Candidates for office in the cities of Houston, Palmer and Wasilla, as well as Mat-Su Borough Assembly and school board, have until July 27 to file their paperwork with their respective clerks offices.

A new twist this year for candidates is that anyone filing for the ballot has an additional week to reconsider, said Kristie Smithers, Wasilla city clerk.

Following is a primer of local offices up for election this year.

Houston

There are two Houston City Council seats up for election in 2012, Seat C and Seat D.

Seat C is held by Alma Hartley, who said she will seek re-election.

“That’s the plan,” said Hartley, who first came to the council as an appointee to fill a vacancy. “I’ve had to run the last two years in a row, so now I’m actually running for the full three years. I have really enjoyed being on the council. It makes me so much more aware of what’s going on in the city.”

Joining her on the ballot is Seat D incumbent Lance Wilson, who said he thinks he’s “usefully on the council” and that his experience makes him more comfortable in his role as a representative of the public. He said the city has made improvements in its fire service, which has resulted in lower insurance rates for homeowners, and that it could improve even more.

Mat-Su Borough

There are several key seats up for borough assembly and school board this year, starting with the mayor.

After his first three-year term, mayor Larry DeVilbiss said he’s “definitely” running again.

“I would not have gone through the trouble to run for one (term) if I didn’t intend to continue,” he said. “I have enjoyed working with these guys (on the assembly). They seem to complement each other.”

Asked what he learned about local government during his first term as mayor, DeVilbiss quipped that he’s “learned that government is even slower than I thought it was.”

For the next three years, the mayor said the borough needs to focus on economic development.

“That’s the big driver,” he said. “We have got to get enough local jobs and businesses so we can stand on our own feet and not just be a bedroom community.”

A trio of assembly seats are also up come Oct. 2, beginning with District 3, where incumbent Ron Arvin said he intends to run. District 3 includes the area from Trunk Road to Seward Meridian.

“I absolutely plan to run again,” he said. “I don’t have a problem making bold moves for the betterment of the general population. There are some more bold moves I want to make, specifically with respect to property rights in getting the government out of the way.”

District 6 incumbent Jim Colver also plans to be on the ballot. District 6 includes the areas of north Palmer and north Wasilla, including Hatcher Pass.

“We have a lot of projects in the mill right now I want to see through to fruition,” Cover said. “We’ve got $64 million worth of projects we need to see built.”

In District 7, which includes Meadow Lakes west to the border of the borough and north up to the Denali Highway, Vern Halter said he will seek a third term on the assembly.

“I’ll be running,” he said. “I feel like I’ve got my feet on the ground now and I want to finish up the road bond package and the school bonds. We actually now need to build roads and build schools.”

On the school board, a pair of seats are up for voters to decide. Seat A is held by Mike Dunleavy, who has already announced his intention to run against Linda Menard for state Senate. He could not be reached by press time to discuss his plans for the school board.

Board vice president Sarah Welton has been a longtime member of the board and said she’ll be back if voters will have her.

“I am throwing my hat in,” she said, adding the gratification she feels with serving comes when she can see the impacts the board has in the schools.

“I sometimes feel defeated and beat up, but then I go into the schools and I see what’s happening in our schools,” she said. “I seriously am impressed and enthused at what’s happening in our schools. It recharges the batteries.”

In addition to her service on the school board, Welton also is working on her doctoral dissertation in organizational psychology.

Palmer

Candidates for Palmer City Council will vie for two open seats come Oct. 2 held by incumbents Richard Best and Ken Erbey.

Best, who was first elected in 2006 and re-elected in 2009, said he wants to continue on the council.

“I’ve enjoyed my time on city council,” he said. “I enjoy giving back to the community and helping guide the growth in our community.”

Erbey is a three-time councilman who was first elected in 2003. He could not be reached by press time.

Wasilla

A trio of city council seats is on the general election ballot this year.

Seat A incumbent Taffina Katkus said she intends to run for a second term on the council, citing work she would like to see done on the city’s downtown development plan and other capital improvements.

“This is a great time to be involved in leadership in Wasilla, with the port coming on and with our infrastructure happening,” she said. “I just want to keep going.”

The council’s newest member, Brandon Wall, was sworn in as the Seat F representative after being appointed to fill the chair after Steve Menard was recalled. Under city rules, Wall is on the council until the next regular election, when he can run to fill out the rest of Menard’s original term, which ends in 2013. Because of that, the election for Seat F is for a one-year term.

Wall said he’s just getting started and intends to run for Seat F.

Also up for election is Seat B, occupied by deputy mayor Doug Holler. Holler is ineligible to run for re-election under the city’s term limit rules.