Prop. 1 or not Prop. 1?

WASILLA — With nine candidates scrambling to fill three city council seats, Wasilla voters will have plenty of choice in Tuesday’s general election.

It’s the other choice on the city’s ballot that has Wasilla Mayor Verne Rupright concerned. Proposition 1 would remove Wasilla from Alaska Public Offices Commision (APOC) reporting requirements.

What concerns Rupright is that the Mat-Su Borough also has a Proposition 1 on its ballot, which has nothing to do with the city question. That Proposition 1, if approved, would repeal the manager form of government in the borough.

The potential for confusion “is really out there,” the mayor said. He hopes those who are against the borough’s question won’t mistakenly vote “no” on the Wasilla ballot’s Proposition 1.

A “yes” vote on the city’s Proposition 1 would be a good move for Wasilla, he said. Palmer has always been exempt from APOC reporting rules and it’s time Wasilla followed suit.

“In my mind, (APOC) is a bunch of people scribbling all these little rules,” he said. “It doesn’t further better government, other than just be an agency that was created with all the best intentions.”

Now about 30 years later, APOC’s reporting regulations for candidates and public officials are driving away talented people from participating in local government, he said.

If Wasilla voters approve Proposition 1, candidates and political appointees will still have to meet the same level of reporting, but their records would not be placed online, Rupright said.

“We’ll be using the same formula as APOC, it’s just you go to the city clerk’s office if you want to see that stuff,” he said. “You fill out exactly the same form and it’s filed with the city clerk. Anybody who’s interested in the candidate can go down and inquire.”

Recently, the city had identified a lawyer with economic development experience to help on a local board, but the candidate decided the APOC disclosures were too personal.

“You try to get the best and the brightest and the most talented people in your community to run for office, and it freezes it up in some cases,” he said.

At Wasilla City Hall, early voting before Tuesday has been steady, said Amanda Charles, who works at the office. Of the 5,057 registered voters in the city, about 20 percent typically turn out to vote, she said.

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.