Mayor Sullivan Talks About Future of Anchorage if Reelected

Disagrees on important issues versus main opponent

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By Kate McPherson
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Story Created: Mar 30, 2012 at 6:29 PM AKDT

Story Updated: Mar 30, 2012 at 6:29 PM AKDT

ANCHORAGE - It's the final days of campaigning for Anchorage’s mayoral candidates.

Mayor Dan Sullivan, running for his second term, says the accolades the city has received recently shows his administration is on the right track.

“Anchorage was just rated by Business Week the tenth best city in America. Forbes said we were the number one city for jobs, we were voted the number one winter city in America by Livability.com," Sullivan said.

The mayor is also standing by his support for a sales tax.

"It's always better to be diversified as long as for example if we put in a sales tax, as long as it replaces property tax dollar for dollar and stayed under the tax cap [citizens] wouldn't mind it because then you are collecting from the seasonal workers, tourists, and the 20-plus thousand commuters that come into Anchorage every day use the roads use your services but don't contribute anything to it," Sullivan said.

Mayor Sullivan’s key opponent assemblyman Paul Honeman says not enough is being done to fight crime in the city. The mayor disagrees.

"If you look at the average three years before we took office and then the average two years since we've taken office, crime is down an average 500 crimes per year and violent crime is down, so we are going to continue that work,” the mayor said.

If re-elected Sullivan will work on maintaining existing buildings like the Sullivan Arena and Center for the Performing Arts. He also wants to continue improvements to the coastal trail.

But he also says bigger projects are not out of the question.

“We are working actively down at the Ship Creek area down at the railroad and seeing if there can't be a unique 21st century development down there that might combine some housing and some business and maybe educational institutions,” Sullivan said.

Along with voting for mayor, the other big talking point on this year's ballot is Proposition 5, which will give legal protection against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or transgender identity.

Mayor Sullivan hasn't supported the idea of Prop 5 in the past, and it doesn't appear to have changed his mind.

“Well when I vetoed it, my message was that after all the hundreds of people that testified, there was not one specific example given of someone who had lost their job or lost their housing because of their sexuality, so I don't think it's good legislation based on anecdotes,” Sullivan said.

Voters head to the polls Tuesday.
 

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Anonymous said on Friday, Mar 30 at 9:32 PM

who is livabilty? so what you are saying is i say i am whoever.com and say you suck and i rate you #1 then you will say you suck for i said so?

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Anonymous said on Friday, Mar 30 at 9:36 PM

as usual he will be given the job again. then later we will clean up his mess. politics suck. and in doing so dont even use a condom. what is up with that?

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BobD said on Friday, Mar 30 at 9:43 PM

So nice to know he owns a crystal ball..

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Andrea Wilson said on Monday, Apr 2 at 10:47 AM

Very informative about new issues

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Andrea Wilson said on Monday, Apr 2 at 10:48 AM

Very informative on news about our place

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Kevin S said on Monday, Apr 2 at 1:52 PM

I like what's been done so far. I'll be voting for him.

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