Name: Spencer Strassburg
Age: 58
Occupation: Self-Employed
Where are you from? How long have you lived in Ketchikan?
I was born and raised in Rochester, Washington. I jumped in a car and headed to South Florida at age 18. I Lived there for 12 years while getting my business education. After researching Ketchikan on the internet for 8 months, I sold everything I owned and moved my family to Ketchikan in 1997. Been here ever since!
What is your community involvement, past and present?
I have been actively involved in supporting the Ketchikan community for many years, both through my businesses and personally. I have helped raise funds for numerous local families in need, sponsored two students from our school district to attend the National Spelling Bee, and donated the entire dog park fence to the Ketchikan Dog Park, a non-profit in Ketchikan.
During the 2018/2019 federal government shutdown, we provided daily meals to the federal workers for the entire 35 days they were shut down. We also provided meals for DOT and state workers who were working on the new sidewalks downtown. When the new sidewalk project was completed, we hosted a community celebration that was attended by Mayor Sivertsen and residents.
When the Ketchikan Arts Council was unable to hold their annual Blueberry Arts Festival in 2020, due to Covid, we held a cinnamon roll fundraiser at our store for an entire weekend and donated 100% of the proceeds to the Arts Council.
I have also sponsored a local basketball team and donated to our local swim club.
These are just a few examples of my involvement over the years. Supporting Ketchikan and stepping up when our neighbors, local organizations, or community needs help has always been important to me and my family, and it is something I continue to do today.
Have you previously run for public office? When and what office?
Yes. I ran unsuccessfully for a City Council seat in 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2020. I also stood for several appointments for vacated seats during the years.
Why are you running for city council?
I’m running because I know how to make money, and this town isn’t. I’ve built businesses here since ’97 that do about five million a year in revenue, so I want to bring that same focus to city hall. The cruise industry is a multi-billion-dollar machine running through our town, and we’re not capturing our share. I want a shot at the one-year seat to prove I can make a difference.
What are your top priorities if elected?
My top priorities are maximizing revenue from the cruise industry, opening up opportunities for locals to directly benefit from it, and lowering the barriers to entry so it’s not just pay-to-play. We need to drive more revenue so we stop cutting services and people can afford to stay in Ketchikan.
What is your stance on the ballot proposition asking for the transfer of library powers?
I’m behind the Borough taking over areawide control of the library. Taxpayers shouldn’t fund two governments that spend their money fighting each other. The library has been a two-year battleground, and the fix is simple – one government, one library, one bill. That’s not consolidation, that’s just good management.
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?
No – the proof is the bathrooms. Six years of talking, Creek Street still has no public restrooms, and the money’s been sitting there the whole time. I’d stop designing monuments and deploy fast, plumbed units now, then fix the port revenue so the capital projects fund themselves instead of getting kicked down the road.
What are ways the city council can address the housing affordability crisis?
Housing is broken because we don’t incentivize anyone to fix it. I’d offer tax breaks to builders who put up multi-family units and use city-owned land to make projects pencil out. Right now, we do neither – we just complain about the rent costs. We need to stop talking about the problem, and start creating reasons for people to build.
How do you think the city should continue to fund capital improvement projects?
We can’t bond our way out – we’re already at the covenant floor, and KPU proved what happens when you wait. The fix is revenue – not more debt. Turn the port around, capture what the industry owes us, and the capital projects fund themselves.
Describe one piece of legislation you would like to bring forward as a council member, and explain how you think it should be funded.
I’d bring forward a plan for Makers Lane – a local market where Ketchikan makers sell directly to cruise passengers, funded by head tax dollars and generating sales tax back to the City. Locals get a real cut of the industry, tourists get the authentic stuff they actually want, and we stop watching the money walk past us.
