The city and borough of Wrangell will be holding an election on Oct 2. There are several positions needing to be filled, and there are many people seeking to fill them with 13 people running for office. The Wrangell Sentinel has created a roundup of candidates to help better inform local voters.
Mayor
There are two candidates seeking the position of mayor.
Carl Carlisle has been in Wrangell for about three years, he said, but has lived all around Alaska before then. Coming from a military background, he said that his main concerns for Wrangell are public safety, and simplification of the process of city government. His experience in the Navy, he explained, gave him some input on how to work efficiently. He also said he wants to see Wrangell be better prepared in the event of a disaster.
“I would definitely be very focused on public safety and simplifying things,” Carlisle said.
Stephen Prysunka has experience with city government and leading organizations, he said, having served on the borough assembly and as president of the SEAPA board. He said that, having been on the assembly, he has seen that the mayor is only one vote out of seven. If elected, he wants to work with the rest of the assembly on several issues affecting Wrangell, such as healthcare, growing businesses in town, and tackling the “multi-headed hydra” of Wrangell’s water needs.
“I’ve been in the community for 22 years,” Prysunka said. “It’s been an opportunity to see the community at low and high points … It’s a matter of leadership and experience.”
Borough Assembly
There is only one member of the community seeking a seat on the borough assembly.
David Powell is already a member of the assembly, and is seeking reelection. He is also pursuing a position on the school board in this election.
Powell said that he wants to be reelected to the assembly because of the numerous projects going on around the borough, such as renovations at Shoemaker Bay Harbor, SEARHC’s taking over of the Wrangell Medical Center, and wants to see more housing on the island. He said that he wants to stay on the assembly to help see everything to its completion.
He is also looking for a seat on the school board because he wants to help the school system recapture former glory. Powell said that Evergreen Elementary, for example, used to be a “blue ribbon” school but it is not anymore. He wants to be a part of the school board to help raise standards in Wrangell and provide greater opportunities for the community’s children.
“I’ve lived here all my life, I know everybody and everybody knows me,” Powell said. “If they want to talk to me, just about everybody has my cell phone. I want to listen to somebody’s concerns. I think that’s what made me a good assemblyperson, is that I listen to concerns and take them to the right people.”
Hospital Board
Olinda Chaffee-White is the sole candidate for a seat on the hospital board. An incumbent candidate, White served as the CFO for the hospital for 25 years before retiring about six years ago, and has been on the board since then. She said that she wants to maintain some continuity on the board while the Wrangell Medical Center changes hands from the city to SEARHC.
“The hospital is very important to me and I feel, since I worked there 25 years, I know a lot about it,” White said. “And I’d like to help in whatever manner I can.”
Port Commission
There are two candidates running for seats on the port commission, Brian Merritt and John Martin.
Brian Merritt said he has been a commercial fisherman for about 35 years, so ports and harbors are an important aspect of his livelihood. Having travelled a lot for work, he said he has seen many different ports of varying quality, and wanted to help try to make the ports around Wrangell the best they can be.
“I just wanted to give my input,” Merritt said. “A history of being around the water gives me a good base to draw from.”
John Martin is seeking his second term on the port commission, saying Wrangell is a good place to serve the community. He said he is
seeking reelection because of various ongoing plans, such as renovations to Shoemaker Bay Harbor and other maintenance projects. He said there is plenty going on to keep the port commission busy, and he wants to continue to help.
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