Three new names will be on election ballots in October.
Competition for Ketchikan City Council seats heated up last week as two more candidates filed for election, and a seasoned assembly member puts in his name for a fourth term.
City resident Edward Plute said he aims to target financial reform in his bid for a City Council seat.
“I’m tired of them basically running our town into a ditch, because if you add up the financials, of how much we actually owe, it’s upwards of a billion dollars with principles and interest…” Plute said. “There are tons and tons of projects that the cities been doing, and I’m going to get in there and do something about it instead of complain.”
Plute is opposed to the city’s proposed chloramine water treatment, which he considers “wrong in so many ways.”
Ketchikan Gateway Borough Mayor Dave Kiffer also put in his name as a City Council candidate. Kiffer can’t run for borough mayor again because of term limits, but said he hopes to continue his active role in city government.
“I think past councils have kicked a lot of items down the road for current councils and even future ones to have to deal with…” Kiffer said. “I’d rather see the group be more proactive than what I think has been reactive in the last ten to 15 years or so.”
Kiffer said he looks forward to taking a greater part in the decision-making in city government as opposed to his representative mayoral role.
Kiffer and Plute join Amanda Mitchell and KJ Harris in the election for three available City Council seats.
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly accepted its first candidate last week – Michael Painter is running for his fourth term as assembly member.
Painter said he hopes to continue working on the borough’s financial stability.
“I would like to try to maintain the balance that we have with the revenues and taxes and what-have-you…” Painter said. “It takes a whole gamut of various things to make a village, and (maintaining finances) is one of the more important ones.”
Painter said adequately funding education and keeping property and sales tax rates low are also his goals for his fourth term.
Also running for borough office is Lewis Armey Jr., who has filed for borough mayor.
There are three vacant assembly seats and three vacant City Council seats up for election Oct. 7. The filing period for all positions will be open until Aug. 25 at 5 p.m.
