Gary Knopp: Participation in local government is crucial

  • Tuesday, September 29, 2015 8:59pm
  • Opinion

I believe that our local municipal elections are the most important elections that we have. The decisions we make right here at home affect all of us more profoundly and more immediately than state and federal regulations. It affects the quality of our homes, neighborhoods, and the very community we call home. This can be either good or bad.

These are the elections that have historically the lowest voter turnout.

Your local government will decide what your tax rate will be, what education funding will be, whether tax exemptions will exist or not, the mill rates for service areas, services for roads, emergency responders, user fees etc. And yet it is as if not enough people care.

I want to encourage everyone to get out and vote this year. It is extremely important that you participate in your local government.

But wait, before you go there is one more thing you should do. Call all of the candidates and interview them. They are after all applying for a job. You should know how they think, what they stand for, what they believe in and what they are willing to fight for. DO NOT JUST VOTE FOR A NAME. Nobody will be offended by your call and if they are you probably will want to take a look at another candidate.

You should know about their background, where they came from, what they do for a living, recreation, are they going to be here after their term is over to see the consequences of their decisions.

This is why I believe I am the best candidate for this job. I am here to stay! I am an issue driven candidate. The issues facing us today and in the near future are of course the LNG project, the governor’s quest for new revenue, (state wide sales tax, income tax, capping the pfd or a combination of all the above), potential consolidation of hospital service areas, a rewrite of the borough’s tax codes and more. Decisions made on all or any of these issues can have a profound impact on us here at home. You may not share my concerns on these issue today but one thing is certain, change is coming and I prefer to be out ahead of these and other issues.

As a former assemblyman and assembly president I bring to the table experience, a willingness to compromise, an ability to find common ground on issues, and common sense.

I would appreciate your support and vote on Oct. 6th

Gary Knopp

252-4457 cell

283-9494 home

More in Opinion

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Life is harder when you outlive your support group

Long-time friends are more important than ever to help us cope, to remind us we are not alone and that others feel the same way.

A silver salmon is weighed at Three Bears in Kenai, Alaska. Evelyn McCoy, customer service PIC at Three Bears, looks on. (Photo by Jeff Helminiak/Peninsula Clarion)
Opinion: Will coho salmon be the next to disappear in the Kenai River?

Did we not learn anything from the disappearance of the kings from the Kenai River?

Jonathan Flora is a lifelong commercial fisherman and dockworker from Homer, Alaska.
Point of View: Not fishing for favors — Alaskans need basic health care access

We ask our elected officials to oppose this bill that puts our health and livelihoods in danger.

Alex Koplin. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: Public schools do much more than just teach the three Rs

Isn’t it worth spending the money to provide a quality education for each student that enters our schools?

Gov. Mike Dunleavy speaks to reporters at the Alaska State Capitol on Thursday, April 17, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Letter to the Editor: Law enforcement officers helped ensure smooth, secure energy conference

Their visible commitment to public safety allowed attendees to focus fully on collaboration, learning, and the important conversations shaping our path forward.

Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire file photo
The present-day KTOO public broadcasting building, built in 1959 for the U.S. Army’s Alaska Communications System Signal Corps, is located on filled tidelands near Juneau’s subport. Today vehicles on Egan Drive pass by the concrete structure with satellite dishes on the roof that receive signals from NPR, PBS and other sources.
My Turn: Stand for the community radio, not culture war optics

Alaskans are different and we pride ourselves on that. If my vehicle… Continue reading

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) delivers his annual speech to the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, March 20, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: Sullivan, Trump and the rule of lawlessness

In September 2023, U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan established his own Alaska Federal… Continue reading

UAA Provost Denise Runge photographed outside the Administration and Humanities Building at the University of Alaskas Anchorage. (courtesy photo)
Opinion: UAA’s College of Health — Empowering Alaska’s future, one nurse at a time

At the University of Alaska Anchorage, we understand the health of our… Continue reading

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich III, R-Alaska, address a joint session of the Alaska Legislature on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2025. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: A noncongressman for Alaska?

It’s right to ask whether Nick Begich is a noncongressman for Alaska.… Continue reading

Boats return to the Homer Harbor at the end of the fishing period for the 30th annual Winter King Salmon Tournament on Saturday, March 23, 2024 in Homer, Alaska. (Delcenia Cosman/Homer News)
Opinion: Funding sustainable fisheries

Spring is always a busy season for Alaska’s fishermen and fishing communities.… Continue reading

Gov. Mike Dunleavy holds a press conference on Monday, May 19, 2025, to discuss his decision to veto an education bill. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire file photo)
Opinion: On fiscal policy, Dunleavy is a governor in name only

His fiscal credibility is so close to zero that lawmakers have no reason to take him seriously.