Name: Ashley Snyder
Age: 40
Occupation: Hiking guide
Where are you from? How long have you lived in Ketchikan?
I grew up in small town Texas, and have been in Alaska my entire adult life. My husband and I moved south to Ketchikan over a year ago and we love it! Before here, I lived in a small village on Kodiak island, in Homer, and spent a good amount of time living in the Anchorage area. I worked in tourism, finance, and grant administration during that time.
What is your community involvement, past and present?
I volunteered for Girls on the Run, in the local Title 1 school gardens, and Girls Who Hike while living in the Anchorage area. Here in Ketchikan, I volunteer for the Alaska Raptor Center, helping to capture and transport eagles and other birds to the center in Sitka for care. I recently became an Alaska Master Gardener, and am a member of the Ketchikan Yacht Club. In 2025, I finished a degree in Health Science from the University of Alaska Anchorage, with a focus on community health and engagement.
Have you previously run for public office? When and what office?
This is my first time running for office!
Why are you running for city council?
I am running for city council because I want to shape the future of Ketchikan by making decisions with the community and not around them. There are some fantastic current council members, and I think together we could do some really great things
What are your top priorities if elected?
—A more sustainable approach to tourism, either through working with other local governments to lobby for legislation that allows a separate tax outside of the duty of tonnage clause or by increasing the Commercial Passenger Vessel excise tax, or city ordinances that generate revenue and decrease negative tourist interactions. The CVP tax was reduced from $46 per passenger to $34.50 per passenger in 2010, and has not increased since then. All options would provide additional funds to our community without changing the number of boats or visitors to local businesses.
— Supporting the health of our community and community members through quality infrastructure, clean utilities, and public safety.
— Collaboration with the existing city council members and the city of Ketchikan to make informed decisions. I don’t believe any one person has all the answers or abilities, but working together we can make great things happen, and there are some great projects and conversations underway
What is your stance on the ballot proposition asking for the transfer of library powers?
I am okay with the transfer of library powers to the borough, as long as city residents don’t carry more than their fair share of the tax burden.
Do you think the city is doing an adequate job keeping up with infrastructure and community needs that come with increasing tourism? If not, what steps should be taken to address it?
As a resident of Ketchikan, it doesn’t feel like our city has been able to keep up with the infrastructure and community needs that come with increased tourism. I know that the city council is currently working towards updated infrastructure such as a water treatment center, which is needed, and I would like to continue that forward momentum if elected. Additional cost effective bathrooms downtown are still needed, and I would love to help make that happen.
What are ways the city council can address the housing affordability crisis?
There are a number of ways that Ketchikan could address the housing affordability crisis, such as limiting the number of nights a home can be used for a short term rental, or imposing fees for those that would like to operate more than the allotted days that would be used to fund additional housing projects. Businesses based on sharing a home, like a lodge or old school BnB, would be spared from these limits, obviously, but the idea would be to target those that have multiple homes, that may or may not live in Ketchikan full time, that are essentially removing homes from the rental market.
How do you think the city should continue to fund capital improvement projects?
Funding capital projects without it affecting the pockets of local residents is tricky, and at this time, it really feels like the best way to fund capital improvement projects would be through enhanced partnership with the cruise ship companies that visit. The 8,200 residents listed on our city limits sign can only carry so much burden, and if they want to continue to visit our charming little town they can help keep the lights on, you know?
Describe one piece of legislation you would like to bring forward as a council member, and explain how you think it should be funded.
One piece of city legislation that I would like to bring forward would be a cap to short term rentals, like a certain number of nights are allowed, like 30 days, or 120 days. If an individual would like to continue operating as an Airbnb, VRBO, or other short term rental after that they can, at a daily fee to the city. This could target the housing affordability crisis here in town by reducing the number or short term rentals or generate additional revenue to be used for affordable housing.
