Dan's Dispatch

As the fisheries industry continues to expand and Wrangell’s Marine Service Center’s services demand increases, I believe Wrangell’s economy has nowhere to go but up. However, to accommodate this growth, the state must maintain their services in Wrangell. I am particularly concerned about the conservation of state jobs in Wrangell. Several years ago, Wrangell lost its social worker and its fisheries biologist. Now, the loss of the Wrangell trooper and the potential of reduced funding to the city jail weigh heavily, as Wrangell’s state jobs slowly disappear.

I have been personally investigating the Alaska Wildlife Trooper’s quiet decision to cut Wrangell’s single trooper position. In a tele-meeting, I asked the Troopers why they chose to specifically cut Wrangell’s position. The Troopers responded that the cut was made primarily due to convenience. The position was already vacated, and therefore vulnerable to a cut as the difficulty and cost of firing or relocating an employee could be avoided. They told me that if the position had been filled, they would not have made the cut and assured me that the trooper in the nearest town could respond to calls if necessary. I reminded him that this would not work for us, as Wrangell is not on the road system. I officially voiced my opposition to the cut and asked them to reinstate the position. I will continue to push for the reinstatement of a trooper position in Wrangell.

Funding of the corrections facility was another concern brought to my attention. Upon learning about this I met with Corrections Commissioner Ron Taylor and expressed my concerns about the potential closing of the Wrangell facility. As of yesterday’s final Department of Corrections Finance Subcommittee meeting it does look like the Wrangell facility will stay open, with some reduced funding in the upcoming budget year. The Wrangell City Jail is undoubtedly important to our district as it not only houses inmates from Wrangell, but provides overflow support to the Ketchikan Correctional Facility and houses Petersburg inmates, providing an efficient, low-budget catch-all facility that ensures Southeast’s corrections system is fully-functioning.

I’m very concerned about the current funding situation in regards to the Alaska Marine Highway and its potential impact on the services provided to Wrangell and all of Southeast and Southwest Alaska. Right now the department is facing a $9.8 million cut in funding which will have the effect of dramatically changing the way the Marine Highway System operates. I will work diligently on this issue throughout the remainder of the budgetary process and will attempt to find avenues to restore some of the funding to this vital service to our communities.