Letter: Soldotna annexation and our mayoral candidates

  • Tuesday, September 26, 2017 9:46am
  • Opinion

Soldotna annexation and our mayoral candidates

With our local elections just a couple of weeks away, it is important that the voters know where the candidates stand on this highly contentious and divided issue. I have had the opportunity to explore the candidate’s involvement in annexation or lack thereof, and have asked the candidates for their responses.

The only mayoral candidate who has clearly stated his position on annexation is Mr. Charlie Pierce. Mr. Pierce has stated his opposition loud and clear and does not have any personal or financial gains to be made from annexation. He clearly stated that if he is elected as mayor, he will support the borough residents who stand against forcible annexation by the city.

Dale Bagley, on the other hand, has been a driving force pursuing Soldotna’s continued expansion and has publically stated he is for annexation. He also was a member of a (non-public) task force formed by the City of Soldotna 3 years ago to select annexation areas. These meetings were not disclosed to the public until it leaked out at a workshop session on annexation. When he has been asked during the debates about his position, Mr. Bagley states that only the borough road service will be impacted. Never anything about the impact on businesses and families who will be directly affected. One may ask if there are conflicts of interest at work here. Realtors, banks, developers, investors, and speculators may all have an interest in seeing annexation go forward.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

Linda Hutchings has stated that since it is a city issue, there is nothing that can be done at the borough level if she is selected as mayor. Her husband, Dave, was also one of the 12-member secret task force on selecting the annexation areas. Ms. Hutchings is wrong when she states there is nothing she can do if elected mayor. Borough Assemblies have a very strong say when it comes down to annexation. Resolutions can be written and voted on, along with other strategies.

With forced annexation close at hand, who do you want leading the borough? Do you want someone that respects the personal and financial reasons why people choose to live or start their businesses outside of the cities? Or do you want someone from Soldotna who is highly motivated to see annexation plow through regardless of what the borough residents want?

Brian Olson

Borough Residents Against Annexation

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.