Four more candidates have filed for local office. Ketchikan City Council Member Dick Coose seeks to keep his seat while Kevin Staples, a political newcomer filed to run for Council; incumbent Borough Assembly Member Glen Thompson filed for re-election, and former Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly Member David Landis is running for borough mayor.
Coose has served about seven years on the Ketchikan City Council. He ran for re-election last year, but was unsuccessful. About a month later, though, Coose was appointed to fill a seat left vacant after another Council member resigned.
Staples works as a port captain for the Alaska Marine Highway System, and has lived in Ketchikan for about two years. He said he is running because he’s upset with some of the decisions the Council has made – particularly the decision to move forward with chloramine disinfection for the city’s water supply.
Staples also said he would like to reign in “wanton” spending by the city.
Six candidates now have filed for the three seats open on the City Council. Others running are incumbent KJ Harris, current Borough Mayor Dave Kiffer, and political newcomers Amanda Mitchell and Ed Plute.
Thompson filed at the end of the day Monday, and KRBD wasn’t able to contact him before deadline. He is completing a three-year term on the Assembly, but has served previously. Also running for Borough Assembly is incumbent Mike Painter. A third seat is open this election.
Landis is the Saxman Group Manager and Ethics and Compliance Officer for Cape Fox Corp. He also is a member of the borough’s Board of Ethics. Landis served two consecutive terms as an elected Borough Assembly member, from 2002 through 2008.
Landis says it seemed like the right time to step back into local politics. He said he has some institutional knowledge that will help, and that he’s well-suited for the job.
“I’m not an activist, but a person that considers both sides of issues,” Landis said.
The mayor doesn’t have the power to vote, at least not regularly. The primary powers of the borough mayor’s office are running meetings, representing the community as a whole, signing ordinances, breaking tie votes and vetoing motions. Landis said he wouldn’t use that last power except in extreme cases.
Also running for borough mayor is Lewis Armey Jr., who has run unsuccessfully in the past for borough and city mayor.
As of deadline Monday, no candidates have filed for the two open School Board seats.
The deadline for candidates to file for local office is 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 25.
This article has been edited to include Thompson’s candidacy, and to include comments from Landis.
