Which Fairbanks borough candidates fought for higher property taxes, and which of them signed the 2019 recall petition?

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Mayoral candidate Grier Hopkins led the charge for higher taxes on a special tax election that was soundly defeated by Fairbanks borough voters this year. Also seen marching for higher taxes is Morgan Dulian, lower right, and Assembly members Savannah Fletcher, Liz Reeves-Ramos, and David Guttenberg.

Elections are about choosing representatives who have the best judgment. On Tuesday, Oct. 1, most boroughs and municipalities around the state hold local elections for city councils, borough assemblies, school boards, and a few ballot measures. Some of these elections have few contested seats. But the Fairbanks North Star Borough is among the more interesting races because the candidates provide a clear choice to voters. And some of the candidates are running on a pro-tax-hike record.

Several candidates running for office in the Fairbanks borough supported the special election held to raise taxes, which was overwhelmingly defeated by voters.

A few of of them also have a history of sticking with Democrat policies and partisan attacks, such as supporting the failed 2019 recall of Gov. Mike Dunleavy.

Past policy positions taken by candidates are often a good indicator of the sort of policies they will support in the future.

The FNSB Assembly majority voted to spend $33 million on an animal shelter (puppy palace), before turning around and asking voters to increase taxes and blow through the tax cap, all in the name of education.

Which candidates voted to fund the palatial animal shelter? Incumbents Kristan Kelly, David Guttenberg, and Garrett Armstrong supported the $33 million animal shelter, as did Savannah Fletcher, who is now running for state Senate.

The cost of living in Fairbanks is already 24% higher than the national average.

To compare the cost of building animal shelters around the Northwest, 10 years ago an animal shelter was built in Bellingham, Washington for the cost of $2.6 million.

In 2017, Boise, Idaho built a 42,000-square-foot animal shelter for $15 million. And in 2022, Kootenai Humane Society in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho built a new $8 million, 20,000-square-foot animal shelter.

The animal shelter authorized by the Assembly majority in Fairbanks is 17,737 square feet for $33 million, something the liberal Assembly members signed off on, with only two members voting against — Barbara Haney and Brett Rotermund.

As for the increased $10 million in taxes sought by the liberals on the Assembly, incumbent Assembly candidates David Guttenberg and Kristan Kelly, and Savannah Fletcher (now running for Senate) fully supported the special tax election and actively campaigned for borough residents to raise their taxes this year.

The ordinance to hold that special election, 2024-07, was sponsored by Fletcher, Nick LaJiness, and Scott Crass. Only Fletcher is a candidate this year among those three sponsors.

The measure passed the Assembly, despite nearly six hours of testimony over two Assembly hearings in opposition to the special election ordinance. 

Morgan Dulian, who led the tax-raising push, testified before the Assembly in March her desire to raise taxes on tourism and marijuana, and property.  

The election, held at a cost to taxpayers of at least $130,000 on May 7, would have allowed the borough to take another $10 million from property owners in the borough, where property owners already pay an average of $3,531 each to the borough every year. Voters delivered a landslide against the Assembly majority’s desire for more money.

Now Dulian is running against April Smith for Fairbanks North Star Borough School Board. Dulian’s lead role in enacting higher taxes suggests she will do all in her power to do so, if elected.

To understand where Morgan Dulian is on the political spectrum, she is a registered nonpartisan but in 2019, she signed the petition to recall Gov. Mike Dunleavy, who Democrats were trying to get rid of within weeks of his election in 2018. The Democrats found fault in how he approached a judicial appointment, when he was given the names on only liberal lawyers by the Alaska Judicial Council.

The list of candidate on the Fairbanks North Star Borough ballot signed the Recall Dunleavy petition in 2019:

  • State Senate candidate Savannah Fletcher, registered nonpartisan but financially supported by Democratic Party
  • Assembly candidate Scott Crass, nonpartisan
  • Assembly David Guttenberg, Democrat
  • Assembly candidate Garrett Armstrong, Democrat
  • Mayoral candidate Grier Hopkins, Democrat
  • School board candidate Morgan Dulian, nonpartisan

20 COMMENTS

  1. My suggestion:
    Print this M-rak article, stuff it in your pocket, and read it one more time in the voting booth.
    In the words of Margaret Thatcher…
    “The problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other peoples money”.

    • They make it really easy too… Just look at what signs are in front of which buildings and plan accordingly… Who has money for all those signs anyway ???

        • Careful, Bill. Your boy Grier Hopkins is coming for your wallet. The Wilson signs are for future development in Fairbanks, not a sign to increase your property taxes. Your Grier Hopkins has about a fifth grade education in Economics.

  2. A good thing to do to find out which way a candidate really leans is to start here: ‘https://aws.state.ak.us/ApocReports/CampaignDisclosure/CDIncome.aspx
    Although the trend lately for some is to be registered as an Independent, a quick search at the above site will reveal which side of the fence the candidate really lives on! If they start out being dishonest by not admitting which party they belong to, can they be trusted at all!

    • There is a much easier way to find out what side of the political aisle all of these supposedly nonpartisan Borough Assembly candidates are on is to drive/bike/walk to the corner of Wilbur Street and Airport Way. There on the property of the Electrical Union you will see every leftist candidate’s political sign. All people on the left mentioned in this article are represented. Also, there is a 4 plex that is slowly sinking into the permafrost ground directly across from Ballaine Lake on Farmers Loop Road, a little more than a mile from the intersection of College Road, University Avenue and Farmers Loop Road which has every Leftist political sign in the yard facing Farmers Loop Road.

      • Randall, the reason the ground is sinking at that Ballaine Lake location is because of all the lefties signs placed there. They leave behind one great big depression.

  3. Ha ha right craig. You can see all our tax money is getting spent so wonderfully now. The kids can’t read or write so don’t both sending the clip with them.

    Liberals mantra. Tax tax tax. Right up until multiple generations are living in the same house sharing a car. As is Europe.

  4. The moment the middle class is gone so will be our country. And that’s what the elites want. Wealthy and slave labor. We could be like Mexico, Venezuela at the drop of a hat. Liberals suckith. Literally.

  5. Is that the mug shot of Scott Kendall’s brother in law? Something Hopkins? Anyone related to Scott Kendall should not be trusted to run local government. Look what Scott Kendall did to us:
    Rank Choice Voting. Lisa Murkowski. Mary Peltola. Dunleavy Recall. Kendall couldn’t save Byron Mallott from being exposed as a pedophile. And couldn’t save former governor Bill Walker either. Can he save his brother in law in Fairbanks? Two years ago, Frank beat him. The child who wants us all to pay more property taxes, quit burning firewood, and drive electric cars. God save us from this child.

  6. Isn’t Assemblyman Guttenberg the guy who carries a keg of beer with him every place he goes? Grier Hopkin’s uncle. Fairbanks politicians remind me of some people in West Virginia and the backstreams of Kentucky. The bloodlines reveal it all.

    • You need a flowchart to unravel all of the Hopkins relatives who are in politics or running for office. Fairbanks has had enough of them.

  7. This story is JUST A TASTE of the narcissistic political climate here in Alaska. This filters down all the way to Delta Junction where our local leaders illegally gave away $1.4 Million dollars instead of building us a LONG TERM SOLUTION Ambulance Service ! PLEASE Must Read Alaska do a story on The City of Delta Junction ! Illegal contracting, Checks spent from the City for contracting without permission from the council, $1.4 Million given away illegally in ARPA money. Our last Crooked Mayor and his side kick City Administrator both jumped ship when they got caught. NO ONE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE. This whole damn state is crooked ! The City Council went into no less than FIVE executive session to attempt to defeat me and the TRUTH I brought them and they STILL got themselves found guilty by State of Alaska Investigations ! This little town is turning into a train wreck just like the rest of Alaska !

  8. That photo shows all the Fairbanks lefties supporting greater property taxes, with Grier Hopkin’s leading the charge. Now they all support no more taxes at election time? Laughable. Do not support junior high candidates like Grier Hopkins. The voters need to reject him, just as they did in 2022.

    • And Hopkins photo was repeatedly shown in the local paper campaigning with high school kids on high school grounds. Something weird about that guy.

  9. I would’nt put these arrogant neobolsheviks in charge of my grocery budget. In today’s economy, to approve 33 million to house nuisance animals? How about we just pay for drug rehab for the people who designed it? As for the cheap, dirty attempt at removing the tax cap, it’s no surprise that the charge was led by a dishonest lawyer from Washington state. No different than attempted robbery on the street. People won’t forget that.

  10. I already voted last Saturday, because I’m not in Fairbanks next Tues… Great article Suzanne, this needs to be proclaimed from every “roof-top”! It may be a little late in publication, I fear. On a good note, Hopkins junior is busy campaigning in impromptu union meetings trying to shore up his base – that shows fear, not confidence. Lefty signage reminds one of dandelions – weeds everywhere. Pray for Fairbanks and the FNSB. They’re busy filling potholes with quick-fix – that lasts about a week – to show us they’re “doing their job.” Right. A pox on the left would be great, but I’ll be very happy with just their electoral defeat.

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