Harriet Drummond - West Anchorage

Name: Harriet Drummond

Occupation: Self-employed graphic designer

Website: harrietdrummond.com

Registered Political Party: Democrat

Last book you read: I'm in the middle of "The Gravedigger's Daughter" by Joyce Carol Oates (but it’s going s-l-o-w-l-y because I am campaigning and don't have much time to read ;-)

Favorite movie: Love Actually

Why are you running for the Anchorage Assembly?

I really enjoy public service and the last three years focusing on West Anchorage has been rewarding. I'd like to continue helping my constituents navigate local government. I take this work seriously and am able to put in the time it takes to do the job effectively.

What one sentence best describes your philosophy of how city government should be run?

What letter grade would you give the current assembly, and why?

B. We have been able to get some important things accomplished in spite of the mayor, such as maintaining bus service and adding an ambulance in Sand Lake.

What letter grade would you give Mayor Sullivan's administration, and why?

B minus. I applaud the mayor trying to find efficiencies in areas such as IT. I am happy to work with the administration to find additional efficiencies such as my proposal to get more use out of the existing bus barn which is only one quarter full, such as filling it with school buses or other municipal equipment.

What are your thoughts on the 2008 union contracts approved by the Assembly? Is there a link to those contracts and the city's current fiscal situation?

The administration negotiates the contracts and the Assembly gets them as a package and can only vote them up or down. They were negotiated in good faith and met the parameters set by the Assembly in 2007. I would try to find efficiencies before making any more cuts, since there is a surplus in the 2010 budget rather than a deficit. Public safety, roads, schools and libraries are all important.

What are your thoughts on the budget reductions proposed by Mayor Sullivan over the past two years?  Are they too much? Not deep enough? A right amount?

Probably too much since there is a surplus of over $15 million from 2010.

What city services would you like to see reinstated, and how would you suggest they are paid for?

Fill critical positions in our understaffed police and fire departments so our homes and neighborhoods are safe. Make sure services such as snow removal, spring sand and gravel cleanup and pothole repair get done. Restore bus routes to make sure people can get to work. Possibly return the surplus to the taxpayers as a rebate or save it for tighter fiscal times.

Are property taxes too high? What consideration should be given to alternative taxes like the tobacco tax, or a sales tax?

I do not believe a single user group should be targeted with a tax like the tobacco tax, which I did not support. Any new revenue sources should be fair across all sectors of the public, should replace property taxes dollar for dollar, and be part of a comprehensive fiscal plan that doesn’t single out one specific revenue source.

What is the most important issue affecting the city as a whole?

The uncertainty about the Port of Anchorage expansion project is really of concern.

What is the most important issue facing your district more than other districts?

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport expansion.