 Responses To Ketchikan Education Association (KEA) Questions Questions Submitted by KEA to Candidates Responses Made Available To The Public by Candidate Salazar September 14, 2002
By law the Assembly is responsible for final passage of the annual school budget after it is forwarded by the School Board. The Assembly may approve or cut the budget, but does not have a line item veto. After approving a budget, the Assembly is responsible for raising tax revenues to fund the budget. The Assembly and the School Board must both comply with the requirements of the State School Foundation Formula. The Assembly considers additional activity funding for students for such activities as the Youth Court and Kanayama Exchange. These activities compete for funds with other community activities.
As an Assembly member, do you feel it would be your responsibility to lobby the legislature for more funding for public schools? The City, Borough and Saxman have participated in the Legislative Liaison coordinated lobbying program organized many years ago by the Chamber of Commerce. Individual elected officials do not lobby separately. The community priorities are established through a public process in which many capital and operating programs are reviewed. School funding issues have often been included in the Legislative Liaison program, particularly inequities in the School Foundation Formula that disadvantaged Ketchikan. My responsibility as Mayor would be to represent the Legislative Liaison priorities and work cooperatively with other local elected officials to speak with one voice.
What are your top three funding priorities borough-wide? My campaign is based on seven commitments:
Why do you think the Ketchikan Gateway School District has had such a difficult time filling teacher positions in the last few years and, in fact, has unfilled positions for the 2002-2003 school year? Ketchikan is a community in transition. Our economy is in disarray. Many local businesses have closed. Many families have moved away. School enrollment is declining. Hospital admissions are declining. Opportunity is diminished in all sectors of the community. It is very hard to recruit employees in such a market. People are understandably reluctant to relocate to an unstable community. Many professionals such as teachers live in a two-income household. It may be difficult to find a job for the other family wage earner. Many families have most of their personal net worth tied up in their family home. Such families may be reluctant to invest in our market where they may fear their home equity would be at risk.
What do you think are the top two strengths of our school district? The strength of our school district is derived from the strength of our community. The students, their parents, the teachers and administrators are all community members and reflect the great good will and optimism that have kept us here and kept us working for a brighter future. It will take a true pioneer spirit and community "can-do" attitude to rebuild our economy. Without a strong local economy we will have to concentrate on making Ketchikan safe and secure - the primary functions of government. Without a strong economy we will have no ability to do the discretionary things that make a community fun and exciting.
What do you think are the top two problems of our school district and how do you plan to help solve them? The biggest problem facing our school district is declining enrollment. The cumulative loss is approximately 20% over the last 5 years. I plan to fulfill my commitments to building back our economy so that families can afford to live here and enroll their children in our schools.
Do you have any involvement in the public school system at the present time, and if so, how? If not, and if you are elected to the Assembly, do you plan to become more involved and, if so, how? I am involved as a parent of students and will be soon as a grandparent. My five children have all attended Ketchikan schools from kindergarten through graduation.
What is your educational background? Ketchikan High School, 1959 Seattle University, BS, 1963
What is your political and/or volunteer resume? Ketchikan Gateway Borough vice
Mayor and Assembly 1999 - 2002 I consider my military resume integral to my commitment to community service. I served in the United States Army from 1963 - 1969 including two tours in Vietnam. I received many medals and citations including a Purple Heart, Bronze Star and Distinguished Flying Cross.
Have you had any involvement with organized labor, bargaining contracts, or evaluating employees, and, if so, how recently? I owned and operated Ketchikan
Air Service for 28 years. I also owned the Airport Lounge, snack
bar and still own an aircraft leasing company. I have personally
hired hundreds of employees from professional pilots and mechanics
to office and maintenance workers. I employed an annual average
of 75 people in my businesses. I developed job descriptions,
salary schedules, performance evaluation systems, and profit
sharing plans. As a member of the Assembly I have participated
in appropriate discussion and decisions about Borough employees.
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