The Haines Borough annual municipal election will be held Tuesday, Oct. 7.
New candidates seeking office offer new ideas and approaches for leading our community. Incumbents must defend their time in office.
The day after I was elected Haines Borough Mayor in October 2023, I was asked by a citizen what I would do about gasoline prices. It was a fair question. Our jobs as community leaders are to address community concerns, and the price of gas is high on that list.
At the very least, the Haines Borough Assembly could write a letter to our monopoly fuel supplier Delta Western, reminding the international corporation that our local government is spending gobs of taxpayer time and money rebuilding the company’s fuel dock and asking the company to take that into consideration when setting local pricing.
That would be a leadership action. Assembly members have the power of their titles and of their constituencies, as well as a provided public megaphone, to influence change and to improve our town. That’s leadership. Under our manager form of government, the power of decision-making and legislation rests with the assembly, not with the mayor.
In that vein, I encourage voters to ask the following questions of assembly incumbents Richard Clement and Gabe Thomas.
What have you done to raise new revenues?
What have you done to build unity on the assembly?
What have you done to create child care opportunities?
What have you done to provide or stimulate affordable housing?
What have you done to inspire volunteerism and community service?
What have you done to forward the Lutak Dock project?
What have you done to improve relations with area tribes?
What have you done to preserve historic buildings?
What have you done to encourage young people to move to Haines?
What have you done to offset Trump’s statements against Canadians?
What have you done to provide affordable jobs?
What have you done to improve the situation at Chilkoot corridor?
What have you done to bring the community together?
What have you done to help area nonprofits?
What have you done to improve local parks and trails?
What have you done to encourage tolerance?
What have you done to affect local consumer prices?
What have you done to break local monopolies on freight, fuel and air service?
What have you done to make yourself accessible to citizens?
What have you done to support local schools?
What have you done to encourage local shopping?
What have you done to improve local roads?
What have you done to defend and promote state ferry service?
What have you done to build morale on the borough staff?
What have you done to welcome newcomers to our town?
What have you done to promote young families to move here?
Obviously, many more questions could – and should – be asked.
The same questions, of course, can be re-worded to assembly hopefuls Eben Sargent and John Norton, as in, “What are your plans or ideas for…” But our community is where it is today because of the leaders who are in office today.
If you’re leaving town before Election Day, there are several ways to vote in advance. Stop at the borough office building at Third and Willard Street and cast your ballot. As a citizen, it’s your duty.