No borough money for political causes

PALMER — Before the Mat-Su Borough Assembly even had a chance to really discuss it, an ordinance that would have authorized spending public money voicing the borough’s opinion on statewide political matters was effectively killed.

The measure, sponsored by Assemblyman Ron Arvin, who did not attend Tuesday’s assembly meeting, drew critics. Arvin told the Anchorage Daily News that he wanted the borough to be able to weigh in against repealing the reduction of the state’s oil taxes.

Since he wasn’t there, borough mayor Larry DeVilbiss took the matter off of the assembly agenda on his behalf.

“Assembly member Arvin is not here to participate and he asked that I do that,” DeVilbiss said at Tuesday’s meeting.

His move took the matter off of the assembly’s agenda and tabled it indefinitely — a popular way to kill an ordinance.

Assemblyman Jim Colver objected, but was voted down. Critics of the measure spoke at the meeting.

“This ordinance is not only bad public policy, it’s written in a way so as to be open ended,” said Michelle Church, who once occupied Mat-Su Borough Assembly seat Arvin now holds. “How many lawsuits will this type of legislation generate when the language used in a particular election turns out to be wildly unbalanced?”

Arvin can still bring the matter back to the assembly, but he would have to start the process over, meaning he would need to first introduce it at an assembly meeting before it could be discussed and voted on at a subsequent meeting.