Ketchikan’s city and borough municipal elections are October 7. Two candidates are vying for one, 1-year term on the Ketchikan Borough Assembly.
The borough assembly serves as the legislative power of the borough, and is responsible for voting on action items and establishing policy for the borough. The assembly also serves as the borough’s Board of Equalization and Board of Adjustment.
KRBD spoke with candidates Alan Bailey and Daniel Ortiz about their experience and priorities if elected to office.
Who are you and why are you running for borough assembly?
Alan Bailey: My name is Alan Bailey, and I am seeking the position of borough assembly. I have been in Ketchikan since 1986 as appointed as the superintendent of the state correctional center here, and had a really wonderful career that has helped me raise my children here. And so I think the reason why I want to continue serving, as I have served on the borough assembly for 10 years now, from 2010 through 2020, and then got appointed once more that I’m currently serving right now. I really want to continue contributing to this community, to try to help our community in any way that I can, and to feel like a part of this community. I have no other alternative motives. I am not interested in seeking higher office at all. I simply want to help this community as best I can, and I have done so in the past, as I said, for a period of time. And the folks that I’m working with now and the assembly have been incredible people to work with.
Daniel Ortiz: I’m a long time resident of Ketchikan, Alaska. I’ve lived here for 56 years. I feel like I have a lot to offer the local assembly with my previous 10 years at the state level. I served for eight years on the House Finance Committee, and in that role, four years as Vice Chair of House Finance. So I got very familiar with what it means to make tough decisions in relationship to coming up with a fiscally sound budget at a time when revenue for the state was down. I know the people in the community, I know what Ketchikan is about. I think that with that level of experience, both in the ins and outs of government budgets and that kind of thing, along with the fact that I know the community so well, I feel like I do have a lot to offer. I’m excited to bring the same kind of level of work and the same level of experience that I was eventually able to get at the state level down to the local community level on the borough assembly. So I’m looking forward to maybe having the opportunity, if the voters give it to me.
How do you differ from the other candidates?
Alan Bailey: I will say I have nothing but good things to say about Dan Ortiz. He’s a fine person. His family is great. They really are. They’re really good people. We come from different backgrounds. I come from a farm, small town, 1,200 people. I served in the military for 10 years in leadership roles during the Vietnam era, then went to college afterwards. And so I’ve kind of worked my way up the ladder, and it’s been through a lot of hard work. I think Mr. Ortiz took a different route and is highly educated. He went through the education, he is an educator and has been very successful. He was a state legislator for 10 years, and that’s a big post to do that, but there is a difference in state government versus local government. In Ketchikan, we simply work together, and I think there’s an important difference there.
Daniel Ortiz: I feel like there’s no substitute for being a part of the community. There’s no substitute for 56 years. I don’t think anybody on the current assembly can say that they grew up here, that they graduated from Ketchikan High School. That they came back and taught the youth who are now adults in the community. I just think in general, the key word there is experience and knowledge of the community. That’s how I probably differ than most of the candidates on the borough running for the assembly.
What do you see as your role in addressing the problems facing our community?
Alan Bailey: Well, it’s simply a team effort. There’s no one person. I mean, certainly we can present resolutions. We can do those kinds of things, but in truth, it’s working cooperatively together to the common interest of our, you know, of our community. It should be without, and that’s what I think I also bring, is without judgment, without preconceived notions. The one thing, and I was cited for it by the mayor, about my intent to study every nuance of any issue that comes before us. I really do study the heck out of it, because I always think they’re smarter people around the area, and I always want to be prepared. And the truth is, I don’t want to let people down.
Daniel Ortiz: My role is to work for the needs of the constituents, needs of the people who look for assistance with interfacing with local government. My role is to listen. Always listen first. I think I was very good at the state level of saying I don’t have the answers, but I have a listening ear. It’s me hearing them explain to me what their issues are and what their perspective is, and then trying to match that with my understanding of where the community is on things, and just trying to facilitate solutions so that government can truly be government of the people, by the people, for the people.
If elected, what will be your biggest priority in office?
Alan Bailey: Well, I think to continue the continuity of service is certainly one of them. As I’ve stated, working 10 years with the assembly, I think continuity of service certainly makes a difference. Experience makes a big deal of difference with local issues and local community solutions. I think on pretty much top of my list is making sure education is funded appropriately. We’ve had a serious issue with seeking and acquiring appropriate funding. And I think it’s incredibly important that we have and give our students, or give those kids, a chance, and without proper funding, it just simply isn’t going to happen. Our teachers are incredibly important. We want to make sure that they are compensated appropriately as well. And I think we all found out how important those teachers were during COVID period of time. So it was an important time.
Daniel Ortiz: The priority will be to meet our main responsibilities that we have here in the local borough, at serving the people of the local borough. And I think obviously in times where the demands on revenue are only going to increase, whether it’s nonprofits or whether it’s schools or whether it’s public safety issues, you know, they’re always going to be there. Revenue is always going to be limited. And so what I think is my goal will be to support education. I think it’s the backbone of our future. Our youth is the backbone of what Ketchikan is going to become. And so I feel like I need to do what I can at advocating at the state level to continue to make sure the state is doing everything they can for education, and that would be my first priority. But then after that, you know, the borough has had some good goals. They’ve had some lofty goals. I know that they want to address the housing issues here in Ketchikan. They want to have a hand in that. They want to address childcare issues that are here in Ketchikan. These are things that are very real that impact the quality of people’s lives here in the community. So I’m going to be all on board for doing what I can in those areas as well. To me, I’m all about the community, and so supporting the community will be my number one goal. Whether it’s education, recreation opportunities, improved housing, I’ll be for all of that. But I will also be for realistic budgets that are fiscally responsible.
Hunter Morrison is a Report for America corps member for KRBD. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep him writing stories like this one. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution.
