Proposed Community Council ordinance is a mistake

To the editor:

I believe Mayor Larry DeVilbiss is rather short-sighted in proposing an addition to Mat-Su Borough code to include property owners as voting members of community councils.

On the surface, it looks like an attempt to allow business to have full membership status, which would include the right to vote and to sit on a board of directors, and I believe, in this "open for business" administration, that is exactly what they are after. Let's stop for a minute and look at the real implications of this ordinance.

For starters, the largest private landowners are Alaska Native corporations, which are actively pursuing an agenda that is in direct conflict with the assembly. With a legal ability to sit on community councils, they will have a much easier chance to promote that agenda. An example is Chickaloon Village, which owns land in Sutton, Chickaloon, Fishhook, Lazy Mountain, the Butte and Knik River (possibly parcels elsewhere). It would have a voting voice, as a corporation, in at least five community council areas. Add in CIRI and Knik Tribal Council and the Alaska Native corporations would become a powerhouse of grassroots politics at the community level. Probably not what the mayor envisioned when writing the ordinance.

The second flaw I find in the ordinance is the fact that it would, as written, allow non-borough property owners a voice in borough politics. As a resident outside the core area of the borough, this is a real problem for me, as my community has many vacation homes owned by people from Anchorage and out of state. I find it disturbing that these people could have a say in how our community develops. I am sure many of us choose to live in rural area because we are not comfortable with all of the big city rules we see as oppressive. Why should we suddenly be subjected to having these people, who might only visit on weekends or once a year, help form policies that year-round residents of the borough are forced to live with?

The last point I would like to share is one that has been completely left out of the conversation - businesses already have organizations to advocate for them at the borough level, including the Chambers of Commerce and various trade and labor associations. As a Chamber member and former Chamber employee, I can assure you that these groups are much more influential at the borough level then any community council will ever be.

Please contact assembly members and tell them this ordinance is foolish and will not benefit our communities in the long run.

Michael Williams

Chickaloon