I’m supporting Angela Rodell for mayor. Her experience as commissioner of the Alaska Department of Revenue, and then as executive director of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp. demonstrated her financial expertise, and her ability to focus on the matter at hand and question the status quo.
I had the honor of serving on the Juneau Assembly for 12 years from 1989 to 2001. It was one of the most satisfying and enjoyable experiences of my life. I served with many excellent Assembly members and five different mayors, all of whom brought a variety of skills to the job. But none of them brought the level of financial acumen that Angela Rodell’s candidacy offers Juneau.
While the mayor is just one vote of nine on the Assembly, the mayor works closely with the manager on matters that come before the Assembly.
The Assembly is not supposed to be a rubber stamp for the city manager, but it seems to have become just that in recent years. The mayor and Assembly represent the citizens and taxpayers and should balance that position with the city bureaucracy and the services provided. The Assembly and mayor act as foils to the manager. As such, they shouldn’t be too close.
I sincerely respect those in public service, whether employed, appointed or elected. It is, as many say, a thankless job. I’ve known Mayor Weldon since she was a firefighter/EMT and honor her service to the community. Her career was exemplary, but her eight years as an Assembly member and mayor have been punctuated by some questionable Assembly decisions. I believe she has grown too close to management.
I recognize the need for better city offices, but trying twice to shove a new City Hall for voter approval is not listening to citizens. Juneau has collected unprecedented property tax and sales tax revenue in the last few years, and keeps rolling those millions into a slush fund. Is that so they can build a new performing arts center without voter approval? I jump to conclusions slowly, but my jump to suspicion can be quick.
Availability and cost of housing is a problem. Loaning and granting public funds for housing has been a priority. Recently a developer who borrowed $1.2 million from our Affordable Housing Fund to build units intended for lower-income residents was allowed to not make those units available. This should never have happened. The city’s Peterson Hill subdivision put residential lots on the market, but at a substantial loss to the city. When it comes to housing, adult supervision is needed.
Voters are being asked to approve a general obligation bond for sewer system improvements. Municipal sewer and water are enterprise operations, funded by the citizens served via their monthly water and sewer bills. Cost for operations should not be paid by Juneau residents who are not connected to the system. Improvements should be funded by revenue bonds, paid for by those who use the system. Monthly fees should include reserves to pay for needed upgrades. This should never have gotten to the point where we had to bond for improvements.
The recent flooding in Mendenhall Valley and prevention/mitigation/resolution of the annual event illustrates the critical need for the mayor and Assembly to go on a full-court press to fix the problem. Because it’s federal land, federal involvement will move at a glacial pace (pun intended), and that is all the more reason the mayor and Assembly need a crash program to address it. Because any solution will be wildly expensive we need the most competent fiscal leadership possible.
Juneau has a new city manager who has yet to gain proficiency at the job. Neither she nor anyone on the current Assembly can claim the professional financial experience required to oversee our $450 million budget and the number of difficult issues we face. But Angela does.
Those are some of the reasons I’m supporting Angela Rodell for mayor. Her tenure as commissioner of revenue, and stewardship of our state’s Permanent Fund nest egg, showed her ability to ask the hard questions and always put the best interests of the citizens first. I’m confident Angela will be a great mayor for Juneau.
• John MacKinnon is a former Juneau Assembly member, city manager, and commissioner of the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities.
