When your boat is solid and its crew is firm, the biggest threat in a hurricane is the person behind the wheel. A steady hand makes a steady boat. In today’s municipal election, we see no reason for that steady hand to tremble.
We encourage you to return Maria Gladziszewski, Jesse Kiehl and Debbie White to the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly.
For school board, the Empire endorses Brian Holst and Jeff Short.
We endorse a “yes” vote on Proposition 1 and a “no” vote on Proposition 2.
Our guiding principle with these recommendations is a simple one: stability.
While we may not agree with all the stances of all the incumbents on this fall’s ballot, we believe they are capable, productive and effective public servants. In the past three years, the Juneau Assembly and the Juneau School Board have not made major errors. The problems Juneau faces are not of its own making. Our city’s aging demographics, our state’s stumbling economy and our nation’s burgeoning health care costs are not the fault of anyone on the Assembly. We suggest instead that Gladziszewski, Kiehl and White have done well to address these problems, even if their achievements don’t match our grand dreams of a sweeping solution.
Look to the issue of the senior sales tax exemption. Almost 19 percent of Juneau’s residents are now 60 or older. A decade ago, less than 12 percent of the city’s population was 60 or older. A decade hence, the Alaska Department of Labor expects 24 percent of Juneau’s residents to be 60 or older.
An exemption can be affordable in a growing city where only 10 percent of residents are eligible. An exemption is not affordable when the city’s population shrinks and one-quarter of its residents are eligible.
The three incumbents on today’s ballot recognized the problem, and they addressed it with a compromise. While figures show the senior sales tax exemption likely will have to disappear entirely at some point, Gladziszewski, Kiehl and White recognized that revoking it abruptly would cause hardship. They preserved a portion of the exemption while still addressing the problem.
Preserving Juneau’s sales tax exemption as it existed would have benefitted the few at the expense of the many. A city exists to provide services for all its residents, not a special class (even though it might be worthy).
When it comes to the school board, Juneau is fortunate to have three excellent candidates for two open seats. Brian Holst is a skilled and dedicated incumbent, and we see no reason to replace him. For the second seat, Jeff Short has impressed us with his clear and calm explanations and his understanding of the issues. Kevin Allen, the third challenger, would serve well, we believe, but Short’s experience with budgetary matters is important as the Alaska Legislature considers cuts to education funding.
On Proposition 1, our choice is illustrated by a photograph this newspaper ran not too long ago. It showed a rain-catching bucket hanging from the ceiling of a kindergarten classroom at Riverbend Elementary School. Another photograph showed Riverbend Principal Michelle Byer, her hands outstretched, as another roof leak drained into a trash can.
Cities exist to serve their residents, but at the same time, those cities cannot serve unless those residents fulfill their duties. Those duties include following the laws and paying taxes.
As the Alaska Legislature shoves more costs upon our local government, it becomes our responsibility to fill the gap. The state has cut its funding for school construction and renovation. With Proposition 1, Juneau will do what the state will not.
When it comes to Proposition 2, we are skeptical. The City and Borough of Juneau has not adequately made its case.
Right now, the city’s charter states that “contracts for public improvements … shall be by competitive bid and awarded to the lowest qualified bidder.”
The charter is Juneau’s equivalent of the Constitution. Amendments should be considered carefully and after deliberation.
The city has suggested the charter should be amended so the city could negotiate other ways of doing business. It wouldn’t necessarily have to take the lowest bid on a project.
While we are certain that passing this amendment would make it easier for the city to do business, we have not been convinced that it is necessary or secure from corruption. We are not convinced that alternative procurement will be any less vulnerable to problems than the existing system. Rather, we believe that improved enforcement and oversight of the existing system will do much of what Proposition 2 suggests.
