Name: Ed Oberts

Age: 44

Occupation: Realtor

Family: Wife, Leona, daughter, Allyson

Education: AAS in petroleum engineering aide and design drafting

Organizations and special interests: Kenai Peninsula Food Bank, Kenai Peninsula Association of Realtors

Previously held elected office: Central Emergency Services Board

1. As a candidate (incumbent or challenger), list what you see as the three most important issues the assembly must address in the next three years.

The three main issues the assembly needs to address are:

1. Sales Tax - Keep at 2 percent

2. Budget - Prioritize and control increases

3. Roads - Improve

My opponent voted for ordinance 07-07(substitute) that will increase the borough sales tax from 2 percent to 3 percent starting in January 2008. This will make the rate 6 percent in Soldotna and Kenai. This will put an unfair burden on young families that have to pay more for diapers, food and energy. Already the sales tax revenue is increasing about a million dollars a year. This additional $8 to $10 million of tax revenue will make it too easy to expand the borough budget faster than our economy is growing.

When elected to the assembly I will immediately introduce an ordinance to keep the borough sale tax rate at 2 percent.

2. How do you view the current relationship between the administration, assembly and the public? If it needs improving, what would you change?

I will be a positive change to the assembly with new ideas and a positive attitude.

I believe public input is important even if it takes an extra meeting and I will work to ensure an open, honest exchange of ideas and information takes place.

3. What do you see as the role of the borough government? If it were too big, what services would you cut?

As a second class borough the services the borough provides are limited. Additional services require voter approval. This has worked well and allows voters to decide when and if they want additional services and the increased taxes. The voters have approved additional services, such as emergency services, and our hospitals through Service Areas.

I am concerned when new programs like the 50-foot river ordinance and Coastal Zone management have been added by the assembly, creating more regulations without much, if any, concern as to the cost.

4. If voters approve, ballot initiatives will set term limits on assembly and school board seats and treat terms already served retroactively. What is your opinion of the initiatives and their possible effect?

Term Limits are good. I am trying to impose term limits the old fashioned way by beating my opponent.

My opponent lead the assembly action in 1999, to overturn the voter enacted term limits voted on in 1993. I would prefer a forward looking ballot measure, but as long as my opponent stays on the assembly it is reasonable to assume he would again attempt to repeal term limits before they would go into effect.