Mayoral candidates face off at Frontiersman forum

MAT-SU -- The three candidates running for Mat-Su Borough Mayor wrapped up the final round of the first Frontiersman Candidate Forum with a few jokes, but mostly kept to the issues.

One of the changes to the mostly-ceremonial position made by the assembly when the borough's budget was adopted was that the mayor would share with the borough manager the task of keeping track of and lobbying for legislation at the federal level. The candidates differed on their approach to lobbying.

Incumbent Tim Anderson said what he planned to do was visit the nation's capitol at four crucial decision-making times -- when legislation was being introduced in spring, in July when changes were being made, in September when it was being placed in bill form and once between September and January to follow up and remind officials of the borough's wishes.

Candidate Charlie Fannon said as a long-time public employee, he's well-acquainted with the lobbying process. He said he favored a blend of using a good lobbyist to work for the borough and personal visits from the mayor.

"If you get the right lobbyist, it's a good idea to use one, especially at the level the borough works at," Fannon said. "I support a dual effort; I don't know if we need to go back four times, but I believe both are very valuable."

Candidate Steve Menard said he believed a lobbyist would serve the borough well -- if that lobbyist was from the Valley. But personal visits from borough officials had a clear purpose as well.

"Flying to D.C., that is something that needs to be done to ensure our voice is heard," Menard said.

When asked whether the borough's current approach to dealing with issues of non-compliance by first working with the landowner before taking a tougher stance was appropriate, the candidates' responses were mixed.

Fannon said he doesn't believe in putting ordinances in place that can't be enforced. While troopers and city police officers have helped enforce some borough ordinances, they aren't bound to doing so.

"I don't believe in passing more laws if they can't work at the first level [of government]," Fannon said.

Menard said the borough mayor position isn't a dictatorship -- the mayor should work with the public

to address issues of non-compliance.

"It's our job, to represent the voice of the people," Menard said.

Anderson said the 90-10-10 rule held true for most borough ordinances -- 90 percent of the people affected will obey a law when it passes; 10 percent of those will obey when they learn about the law and about 10 percent of those people will disobey simply on principle. Educating people about the ordinances and working with them to come into compliance, he said, was the best way of enforcing code.

"My goal is to build consensus," Anderson said. "If you can get them to sit down and talk …"

When a question from an audience member arose charging Anderson with partisan politics in a non-partisan race for accepting a donation from the Alaska Democratic Party came up, all candidates bristled.

"Local elections, by state law, are not partisan," Anderson said. He accused the audience member who asked the question of bringing partisanship back into the discussion.

"And it doesn't belong in a local election," Anderson said.

Fannon, who at the forum distributed door-knockers with trains of elephants marching on them, said it's hard to avoid talking political parties when campaigning.

"Everybody asks what you're registered as," Fannon said.

Menard, who's the son of former legislator Curt Menard Sr., kept it simple.

"My father's a registered Democrat and if anyone has a problem with that, they can meet me outside," Menard said.