Wasilla candidate shares concerns

Spectrum, by Verdie Bowens

It is an honor to serve as your councilman in the City of Wasilla, and my greatest pleasure comes from assisting those of you who have called with concerns and issues in our community. The following issues are items brought to my attention by concerned residents: Creating a boat launch facility on Wasilla Lake, supporting the approval of permits for Home Depot and Lowe's, providing a light at Parks Highway and Church road, fully funding the library, and adding an additional police officer for community patrols. The council was able to act on each one of these issues and fund each item without acquiring debt.

This type of action is strange in a time when every city across our nation is crying the budget blues. We are blessed in this community because of actions by past councils. They set a standard for all councils to follow by requiring a balanced budget.

What a concept for government -- spend only what you have in the bank. This is a wonderful policy to have and allows this city to plan properly for the future. This policy allowed for the development of two new stores injecting 305 new jobs in the community. This also provided the city an opportunity to enter into an agreement with the Alaska State Troopers for a combined dispatch center, delivering even more quality jobs. I believe this will also allow us to move forward with continued water, sewer and road development and the continued development of our parks.

In the future, I would like to continue each task before us just like in the past through a balanced budget and the promise to not touch Wasilla's budget reserves of over $4.1 million. This reserve is the financial strength of Wasilla.

Over the next three years I would like to see the continued growth of the city's infrastructure and the completion of the Iditapark development. I also support the development of our new multi-use sports complex into a disaster shelter. Who knows when we will have another fire or earthquake? The complex is large enough to handle almost every emergency faced by Alaskans.

I was honored a few years ago on the planning commission to see the developed future of the Wasilla Senior Complex. I will continue my personal support of all development for this complex and the completion of a paved path to Main Street. I believe the light at Parks Highway and Main Street is a traffic problem now and a future hazard if we don't start planning today. With the cooperation of DOT, we can develop a strategy together to fund and build an overpass. This will take some time, and if we start today we can accomplish this before the future crisis arrives.

I was appointed to the city council in January 2004. I was able to accomplish a great deal in just a few short months. I co-sponsored an ordinance developing stronger ethics requirements for council members and the lowering of the mil rate and passed a budget with a surplus to add to the budget reserve. I could go on forever with the accomplishments of the current council. It all comes down to one thing. It is all very much an honor to serve the people of Wasilla and protect their trust.

The heart of this city can be found in the people who live here. My family and I have lived all around the world. With 23 years in the Air Force, we have had the chance to see and experience things some only read about. In all these years my feelings for Alaska has never changed. I am from a small logging camp in Southeast Alaska called Cape Pole. This place can only be found on the maps; the homes are long since gone. But a childhood of hunting, fishing, trapping and camping doesn't leave the soul. My wife is from a ranch in Washington State, and her home town is smaller than ours. With this small community background in both of us, we enjoy being part of the Wasilla family.

Finally, as a councilman for the city of Wasilla, I find there are great things always occurring around me. We are the fastest growing community in Alaska and this progress is directly attributed to the teamwork developed between industry and the community. I strongly encourage investment and development across the community and at the same time continually plan for and develop the needed infrastructure and services supporting the community at large. I constantly strive to drive local tax's down and encourage the growth of small business development. But more important than economics, I believe the quality of life has improved, and there is a greater sense of "community," by all Wasilla residents. I believe this is the best place to raise families and conduct business due to our strong local business, our schools, volunteers, public servants and most of all the residence who live here.

Thank you all for allowing me to serve you and the great city of Wasilla.

Verdie Bowen is a member of the Wasilla City Council, Seat F and up for re-election.