Mayor talks election

PALMER — Mat-Su Borough Mayor Vern Halter won re-election by a wide margin, defeating Bruce Walden handily. Halter will now get to work with two new members of the assembly on the three propositions that all passed.

“I was amazed about the police powers thing. It passed with really big numbers. I plan on appointing a committee to do just that, report back to the assembly by April 1 with ideas and proposals,” Halter said Oct. 5.

Halter already has an idea of how he would like the committee to go. He plans to appoint two or three people with extensive knowledge of crime that are outside the Mat-Su Borough Assembly to consult on spending. Assistant Borough Manager George Hays has also led public meetings about crime. Halter plans to organize the committee to have their recommendations ready prior to April so that considerations can be made during the budget process.

“I think this vote, especially on the police powers, was good news,” Halter said. “We will operate it the way people want it.”

Now that the borough has received direction from the voters to investigate the possibilities, it would still require another ballot initiative to actually enact police powers once logistics have been worked out.

Halter also discussed the road bond, which will upgrade many thoroughfares throughout the Valley in desperate need of modification. The borough only approved 50 percent of the cost and still needs to find the other half elsewhere.

“We’ve got to find 50 percent match. It’s down to the state and talking to our state delegation to get them on it. Things are moving really well. I want to put a lot of pressure on the state, I mean a lot of pressure on the state to move projects up like Knik-Goose Bay and the Parks Highway and get these things done faster,” Halter said.

Halter also has eyes for three new ambulances. The actual box on the back does not need to be new, but three new chassis are needed for overused ambulances. Halter had very few words for the controversial election date change on proposition three. Supporters claimed that pairing the local, state and national elections would boost voter turnout. Skeptics believed that local races would receive less attention if they were grouped in with larger races.

“I don’t know what it is with people that don’t get out and vote,” Halter said.

Halter believes that party politics were at work in that proposition. Halter was very pleased with the success of first-time candidates Jesse Sumner, who won the election for District 6, and Tam Boeve, who won District 7, after Randall Kowalke chose to not seek re-election.

“Jesse Sumner campaigned hard didn’t he? He worked his butt off and it showed,” Halter said. “Tam Boeve did a great job. Even if you added up the other two guys numbers together, she still wins… I’ll miss [Barb] Doty but there’s nothing wrong with having somebody new. I always like diverse people on the assembly. I’ve never liked where everybody thinks the same. I think Ms. Boeve will do excellent, same with Sumner.”