Becky Rooney Occupation: Legislative Staff for Alaska State Legislature Which position are you running for? Assembly member, 1-year term Why do you want to be on the Wrangell Borough Assembly? "As my retirement date nears, I know I will have some time on my hands. This is a good opportunity to become more involved in my community and I can't think of a better way than serving on the Borough Assembly." What experience or qualities do you have that would make you an effective member of the Assembly? "I have worked in government at the state level for the past 10 years as chief of staff to our own representative, Peggy Wilson. I learned from her how important listening is in serving a constituency. I love being part of this community and believe that we all need to step up and volunteer in some way to help Wrangell prosper." What sort of role do you believe the Assembly should have in the Wrangell community, and if elected, how would you contribute to that? "I believe the Assembly is the policy-setting body for the Borough. I don't think we are the body that directs day to day operations. That is best done by the highly skilled employees of our borough. I believe I can contribute to good policy making by using my skills to research a topic and applying the breadth of knowledge I have gained working in the Legislature. Many of the issues we deal on the assembly are not new and some other city somewhere has probably gone through it, and it may not be necessary to start from scratch. My legislative experience has taught me the value of using online resources to ferret out what other communities have done while listening to our community members to tailor what others have done to meet our unique needs."
Steve Prysunka Occupation: Retired Which position are you running for? Assembly member, 2-year term Why do you want to be on the Wrangell Borough Assembly? "Several years ago I became a US citizen. As a part of the ceremony the judge gave a very interesting talk on democracy and the responsibilities that are part of this freedom. I had always thought that voting was integral to the democratic process, but she also stated that being active in your community in a political manner was very important. This stuck with me, and as a new citizen I want to do all that I can to help my community. Running for the Assembly is one way to be an active member of our democracy." What experience or qualities do you have that would make you an effective member of the Assembly? "I like to think that I am a critical thinker and dedicated listener. As well, I like to ask questions. My former employment involved working with a large staff team. I was required to mediate and mitigate interpersonal issues and ensure that the program was moving forward in a positive direction. I believe my years as the director of the program will help me to balance opposing views and find solutions to issues facing our community." What sort of role do you believe the Assembly should have in the Wrangell community, and if elected, how would you contribute to that? "I believe that the Assembly is responsible for ensuring that all funds within its control are used in a legal and prudent manner. This includes reviewing and approving various budgets that are presented to the Assembly. I will ask tough questions and I will work to keep local jobs and local control of our community programs, services and assets. I will do my best to ensure that community growth is measured and most importantly, appropriately funded. I believe that the Assembly has a role in ensuring that the community is protected from big, unfunded ideas. This can be anything from hydro projects to major public facilities that we can not afford to maintain. I will push to ensure that our emergency services and hospital are working towards ongoing capital replacement planning that has a long-term vision. The Assembly is responsible for the creation of laws within the borough boundaries. I will work to ensure that these laws are fair and reflect our common-sense Alaskan values. I would be honored to serve the community that welcomed my family 18 years ago."
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