The Cordova Times offered all candidates up to 300 words to tell readers why they are running in this election.
Voting hours for the Cordova regular election will be from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 5 at the Cordova Center Education Room.
SEAT A: Tom Bailer
City council seat A candidate Tom Bailer has served on the Cordova Planning and Zoning Commission for 15 years, some of those years as chair, and for three years o the Cordova City Council, including one year as vice mayor.
Cordova has been my home for the past 30 years. My wife and I have raised two children here and have come to appreciate the head start the Cordova school system and this community has given them. I would like to see that continue. I’ve run my own business, Bailer’s Cabinet & Trim for 28 years and what it has taught me is to look for simple and cost effective solutions to problems. For example, instead of spending in excess of $25,000 to conduct a study to form a borough a simple solution would have been to have the mayor or city manager contact the communities and corporations that would have been affected, talk with the local school board, and they would have learned there is no support for forming a Borough. When it comes to school funding I feel the City Council should meet with our locally elected School Board before the budget meetings so when a budget meeting occurs council members come to the meeting well informed of the financial needs of the school district. I support the efforts to update the Cordova harbor and look forward to the upcoming meeting to attain more information on how this will be accomplished. As far as the larger issue, dealing with the state and funding for the Alaska Marine Highway System, I recommend reading the article by Dick Shellhorn titled “I have seen the enemy, and he is us” which is in the February 22, 2019 issue of The Cordova Times. I would appreciate your support in the upcoming election.
SEAT A: Stephen Sundby
I am running for City Council Seat A because I love Cordova and I hope to be able help Cordova remain a great place to live and work.
I believe that for Cordova to remain a great community it must be able to provide opportunities that allow people to afford to stay in Cordova. This would especially apply to the young that are starting their first job, those that have jobs that do not provide the income needed, and the retired that are living on a fixed income. City Council plays a major role in providing these opportunities through strategic planning, advocacy for Cordova (AMHS), and keeping cost/taxes at a minimum in providing the city government services that the people of Cordova desire and are willing to pay for through their taxes.
I am a fiscal conservative and If elected to City Council, I will work to make city government efficient and cost effective. I believe we have reached the point where we cannot just keep raising taxes or requesting resources from the State of Alaska. I would seek input from the community regarding the services people desire. I would then work with City Council to develop plans that can best meet the desires of Cordova.
I have graduate training in industrial/organizational psychology (master’s degree) and applied behavior analysis with emphasis in organizational behavior management/performance management (doctorate degree). This education which I have further developed during my work career includes strategic planning, quality improvement, personnel selection and placement, and improving productivity. I have worked well with multiple boards, committees and work groups. I believe I would work well as a city council member.
I would appreciate your vote!
SEAT F: David Allison
David Allison is seeking re-election to Cordova City Council Seat F
Greetings fellow Cordovans. I am running for another term on City Council because I know I can make a difference in the lives of my fellow residents. Cordova has some very real challenges in the near and far term, but we also have the ability to meet those challenges. Keeping the hospital and services funded is a challenge. With our limited population base, it requires attention to limit and eliminate the subsidy. Depending on the governor’s budget and what the Legislature agrees on, Cordova could potentially lose 30-35 percent of the revenues it currently receives (potential to lose: raw fish tax, school debt reimbursement, School funding formula, among other things). We cannot continue to place the burden on local property owners. We need to spread that burden among all users of services. The cost of living is already high here, we cannot make it higher. This is a contract year for city employees, city manager, city clerk, as well as the school district. Lots of important issues that I am willing to do my best to help solve in the most equitable way.
SEAT G: Dave Glasen
Dave Glasen says he believes that the biggest issues facing the city currently are the budget shortfalls, the shortage in school funding, accessibility of the ferry and the viability of the hospital.
“As a community we are facing major obstacles handed down to us from the state and federal levels. Speaking up and advocating for our community is something we should all be doing at this time. We also need to look within ourselves to see what part of the fiscal situation we can control; whether it be limits on our spending, increasing our revenues, or most likely a combination of both. I believe that the current council has been working well with the issues that they have faced and I hope to add to the mix a new outlook and perspective. I don’t see a line of people coming out to sign up for these positions, so I figured that is the best way to be part of a solution.
Thank you for considering me to serve the community.
