Two challenge outgoing mayor for Assembly District 3

Oct. 1, 2006

By Michael Rovito

Frontiersman

WASILLA - Finding himself at the end of his term, Borough Mayor Tim Anderson said there is unfinished business in the assembly that he wants to follow up on, which motivated him to run for the District 3 assembly seat.

Anderson - who has been borough mayor for six years and cannot run for mayor again because of term limits - said ongoing issues such as state revenue sharing, the Hatcher Pass ski area and economic development are a few of the reasons he is running for the assembly.

The borough's explosive growth and development is one aspect Anderson said is a key issue, adding that the matter needs to be managed delicately to produce optimal results.

&#8220We're growing at such a tremendous pace,” Anderson said. &#8220We need to build a school each year, we need to say on top of this.”

Echoing Anderson's sentiments, Michelle Church - who works for the nonprofit group Women in Community Service - said one of the first items on her agenda, if elected, is to tackle the growth subject.

&#8220People do want some land-use regulations and some planning,” Church said of information gathered from a door-to-door poll.

Church added she is the better candidate for the job because, in her view, Anderson has accomplished little during his time as mayor.

&#8220He has been in there for six years and nothing has happened,” Church said.

Anderson's experience in the borough goes farther than his tenure as mayor. He served for seven years on the borough's planning commission, which, he said, helped him become aware of borough issues.

Rounding out the District 3 race, Ron Arvin, senior vice president of international marketing for NANA, said he is running for an assembly seat because of a lack of respectful dialogue within the borough.

&#8220One thing that really drew me into the race is my ability to effectively communicate with people,” Arvin said.

Although Arvin - who bills himself as the conservative candidate - never has held elected office, he has served on the Port MacKenzie Commission, been a member of the Transportation Advisory Board for the borough and is on the Parental Action Committee, a group of parents that addresses issues related to transportation, curriculum and safety in the schools.

Arvin added that he doesn't see much difference between Anderson and Church, and that didn't represent a choice for the people in District 3, which is why he chose to run.

Church, meanwhile, said she worries Arvin's decisions on the assembly would be swayed because of his connection with NPI. Arvin's employer, NANA, is a service provider to the Oklahoma-based company with logging rights in the

borough.

That accusation, Arvin said, can be refuted by what he calls his clear ability to see conflicts of interest.

&#8220My record is very clear on my ability and willingness to recuse myself,” Arvin said.

One of Arvin's top issues is making the borough more business-friendly, he said, opening the area to business development in an effort to lower private property taxes. He also mentioned the ongoing negotiations over a proposed Hatcher Pass ski area, something he said he feels confident he could carry to a conclusion.

All three candidates said they are campaigning aggressively in the lead up to Tuesday's election. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday in locations around the borough.

Contact Michael Rovito at 352-2252 or michael.rovito@

frontiersman.com