There are currently two candidates running to fill an open seat on the Ketchikan Borough Assembly. The seat was vacated by Jeremy Bynum, who resigned earlier this month as he prepares to represent House District 1 in the state legislature.
Three days after Bynum resigned, the Borough announced in a press release that Alan Bailey had put his hat in the ring for the seat. Bailey is no stranger to the dais, having served nine years on the Borough Assembly prior to 2020. According to Bailey, he sat on 284 borough meetings during his previous three terms. He said his approach will likely match Bynum’s in some ways – what he characterizes as a “common sense,” “middle-of-the-road” conservatism.
“I believe I bring a conservatism that’s appropriate for our time and our time – by that, I mean this period of time where we have a lot of lack of resources and a lot of spending issues,” said Bailey.
Bailey is retired but had a previous career as the Superintendent of the Ketchikan Correctional Center. He said over the phone that a role on the assembly is not one he takes lightly.
Bailey now has competition, though. The Borough announced Wednesday morning that Robb Arnold had filed for the seat. Arnold is a purser with the Alaska Marine Highway System and currently serves on the Borough Planning Commission. Members of the planning commission are appointed by Borough Mayor Rodney Dial and handle land use regulations, platting, and develop the entire borough’s long-term vision for development, called the “Comprehensive Plan.”
Arnold said he hopes to see that plan come to fruition and is aiming for an assembly seat because he believes he can help the Borough tackle transportation issues like road and ferry infrastructure. Arnold also said his heart lies in education.
“I think that there’s some issues with the school board and the Borough that we can hopefully work on and it’s an ongoing thing with budgeting and all that,” Arnold said.
Arnold previously ran for seats on the City Council and the School Board. He also mounted a short-lived campaign against fellow Republican Jeremy Bynum for the seat in the statehouse that Bynum will soon occupy. Arnold dropped out of the House District 1 race in February citing “forces that were beyond my control that were exploited by my competitors.”
“I think we need to really start talking about what kind of a town we want to live in. I mean, it could go either way, but I’m interested in quality of life for the people that live here,” Arnold said over the phone.
Following Arnold applying for the vacancy, his competitor Bailey said that he welcomes the competition and hopes more people step forward.
This isn’t a full assembly term though. The appointee will serve until next year’s municipal elections in October, when the public will vote on who will finish out the final year of Bynum’s term.
The deadline to apply for the open seat is December 30. After that, the Assembly expects to make an appointment at its first regular meeting in January.