Fairbanks North Star Borough Assemblywoman Kristen Kelly, running for re-election, stated in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner that the Interior Taxpayers’ Association forum “does not seem like a legitimate forum.”
Thus, that’s the reason she did not attend the annual candidate forum held by the group last Tuesday.
Kelly is the chair of the Assembly’s Finance Committee and makes her living from the Fairbanks North Star School District, where she is a school counselor.
The Interior Taxpayers’ Association has held a candidate forum on the first Tuesday after Labor Day for decades. It is one of the first candidate forums held in which candidates for Borough, Fairbanks City Council, and mayor are all invited to provide statements and answer questions from attendees on fiscal issues.
This year’s forum was a packed house at University Park Baptist Church; all the Fairbanks City Council members candidates attended.
“I chose not to participate in the forum because some of their more prominent members have spoken at Assembly meetings in the past,” Kelly told the newspaper. “There was no guarantee we would be treated civilly. It does not seem like it is a legitimate forum.”
She does, however, plan to take part in forums hosted by the League of Women Voters or Greater Fairbanks Chamber of Commerce, she said.
Interior Taxpayers’ Association President Debbie Rathburn can’t recall anyone from ITA that would treat anyone uncivilly. She has also been an active member of the Fairbanks Tennis Association, Northern Area Swimming, Fairbanks Youth Soccer, and other sports programs across the borough, and other members of Interior Taxpayers’ Association are also involved with a variety of borough programs where they regularly interact with people from all political persuasions.
There is no record of anyone being mistreated at an ITA forum in the 30 plus years the forum has been held.
Assembly candidates Miguel Ramirez, Tammie Wilson, and Jimi Cash attended the forum and pledged to support the tax cap and to work to secure property rights.
Incumbent David Guttenberg gave a brief written statement to the News-Miner, in which he said there were “too many rumors, not enough facts” concerning the question on policies.
Candidate Garrett Armstrong said he needed further clarification to the questions. Rather than attending the forum to provide facts and dispel rumors, or get additional information, he and Guttenberg took a pass.
Mayoral candidate Grier Hopkins also failed to attend. But candidates for mayor John Coghill and Robert Shields both showed up and engaged in a lively civil discourse on a variety of fiscal topics.
Earlier this year, there was a move by the Borough Assembly to bust through the Fairbanks North Star Borough tax revenue cap in a special election held on May 7. That effort was resoundingly defeated, with help from Interior Taxpayers’ Association.
Assembly members Kristen Kelly and David Guttenberg voted for the special election and from their own wallets gave financial aid to the group that supported breaking the tax cap.
Mayoral candidate Grier Hopkins also actively supported busting the tax cap, led by Assembly Presiding Officer Savannah Fletcher and School Board candidate Morgan Dulian.
Rather than attending the forum to answer questions on their pro-tax stance, the candidates who supported expanded taxation chose to skip the forum and dodge questions on fiscal policy.
The Fairbanks municipal and borough election is being held on Tuesday, Oct. 1.
After the forum, the ITA endorsed the following candidates:
- Jerry Cleworth for Fairbanks City Council
- Aaron Crook for Fairbanks City Council
- Miquel Ramirez for Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly
- Tammie Wilson for Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly
- Jimi Cash for Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly
- John Coghill for Mayor
30 years and running, yet it’s illegit? Please. She was worried about burning the church down had she attended.
If you can’t win, delegitimize the process.
Aaawwww, poor Kristen Kelly is afraid of being mistreated at the ITA Forum, even though there is no history of that being the case in 30 year history? Bo-Hunk! She just doesn’t choose to answer hard questions. Same with the rest of them.
Kristen is just scared.