This article has been updated to include additional information.
After the first day in the filing period for October’s municipal election, two candidates had filed, but all three City and Borough of Juneau Assembly members with expiring terms said they plan to defend their seats.
The period, which runs until July 25, will determine who will be on the ballot for the local election to fill three Assembly seats along with two spots on the Juneau School District Board of Education. By Friday evening, no one had filed to run for school board, according to the list of certified candidates on the city’s website.
After the end of Day 1, here is who’s filed so far, and who says they intend to run.
Carole Triem
Assembly member Carole Triem already filed to seek reelection and a second full term on the Assembly. This will be her third time running for an Assembly seat as she previously ran to fill a vacancy on on the Assembly.
Triem said her choice to run again was “not an easy decision,” but she wanted to continue the momentum the Assembly has built on the issue of housing, something she said is a “major” priority.
“It’s a crisis, it’s literally a crisis and is the biggest issue the Assembly needs to work on,” she said.
Housing has been an issue on her mind since early 2020, but when the pandemic hit, things switched gears for a while. Now that things have settled down, she said if elected, she wants to try any and all ideas that could bring the focus back on the housing crisis.
“There isn’t one solution that is going to fix everything, but I think we need to start everything we got to start working on it and see what is going to move the needle,” she said.
Another issue Triem hopes to tackle is “to be more longer-term focused on how we spend our money.” She said by looking at the budget from a long-term perspective, she hopes the city can use the money in ways that will benefit long-term issues in Juneau.
And if she could shout something from the rooftops for everyone in Juneau to hear, what would she say?
“Well, right now, I would say slow down while you’re driving,” she said, laughing. “But really we need to do everything we can on housing. I think we need to throw everything we have at that problem, and I think it’s at the root of every other issue and ripple throughout the community.”
Greg Smith
Assembly member Greg Smith has also filed to run for another term in office and has no shortage of ideas and goals for the community if reelected. Smith said if reelected, he wants to focus on topics like affordable housing, child care, outdoor recreation and tourism. He said his decision to run again is to continue to “work on things to help family, businesses, workers and the community as a whole.”
During his time as an Assembly member, Smith said he was proud of the decisions and work the Assembly has done to better Juneau, “but there is still more to be done.”
Smith said affordable housing is particularly important, as it permeates other areas like keeping a high quality of life for older adults, as well as ensuring young families can move to Juneau and “have a good future.”
“Affordable housing has been an issue forever, but I think the problem is exacerbating, and I think we need to keep trying to do what we can to help,” he said.
Smith said another goal he wants to pursue, if elected, is focusing on tourism and looking into ways the city can make a tourism industry that is more sustainable for the health of the community and planet, while also continuing to give a quality experience to visitors.
And if he could shout something from the rooftops for everyone in Juneau to hear, what would he say?
“I’m listening, I care about the community, and I’m open to creative solutions and ideas on how to move our community forward and keep it a great place for families, businesses, workers and visitors,” he said. “We have a very special place here with a really bright future, and if we can work together, we can keep it a fantastic place.”
Wade Bryson
Assembly member Wade Bryson will also seek reelection in the October municipal election. Bryson said the decision to run again wasn’t all that hard of a decision.
“I enjoy it. I enjoy the people I work with and I enjoy the solutions that we are coming up with,” he said.
Bryson said if reelected, he wants to continue the work that the Assembly has already done on the housing crisis and the new City Hall project.
As the current chair of public works facilities, he said he has done a lot of work on the City Hall project and said “there are some great feelings” to see the outcome of that project.
“Housing is a big deal, and if the city bond passes, we would free up more housing and have projects in the community,” he said.
He said he also thinks it’s important to also think with longevity and a holistic approach to solving external issues around housing as well.
“Coming up with solutions for the landfill at the same time that we were working on housing,” he said. “Because as we create more housing we are going to create more trash.”
Bryson said he thinks that there has been a lot of progress in addressing the housing crisis, and is “looking forward to making more progress.”
And if he could shout something from the rooftops for everyone in Juneau to hear, what would he say?
“Let’s build a City Hall. I think solving the City Hall issue would give Juneau a permanent solution for the next hundred years and it would save us millions. It lets the rest of the state know that we believe in Juneau and we plan on being here as the capital indefinitely.
The filing period closes at 4:30 p.m. on Monday, July 25
• Contact reporter Clarise Larson at clarise.larson@juneauempire.com or (651)-528-1807. Follow her on Twitter at @clariselarson.
