A forum hosted by KFSK and the Petersburg Pilot on Thursday, September 21st underscored the differences between the four candidates running for the Petersburg Borough assembly.

Candidates Rob Schwartz, Jeff Meucci, Jeigh Stanton Gregor, and Rick Perkins are running for two assembly seats, and all attended the forum. Each candidate got a chance to say their piece about local policy matters and answer questions from the community. 

The assembly candidates are looking ahead at new policy measures — but they’re also still rehashing events from the peak pandemic years. 

Candidates began with their opening statements. First up to the plate: incumbent assembly member Jeff Meucci. He’s had a long career in local politics, having served as a city councilor for five years, and as the city mayor for four. Meucci was elected to his assembly seat in 2017. He served through the height of the pandemic, and says his policy decisions drew harsh criticism from COVID-19 conspiracy theorists in the community — some of whom were present at the candidate forum. 

“I think it’s very important to understand who’s running for office,” said Meucci. “Last night [at the Hospital Board Candidate Forum], we heard from a hospital board candidate who thought that the worldwide health emergency was a scheme to depopulate the planet.”

He was referring to Don Koenigs, who is running for Petersburg’s Hospital Board — and who sat in the audience. 

“I’ve been yelled at as I tried to enter the municipal building during the pandemic by one of the candidates for assembly,” said Meucci.

He was referring to fellow candidate for assembly, Rob Schwartz, who is running for office for the first time. Meucci continued on, voicing his support for school funding and the new hospital project. 

“I support a vibrant and well-funded school system to prepare our children for the challenges that wait for them after they graduate,” said Meucci. “I support the hospital board, and the hospital CEO’s effort to build a new medical facility.”

Schwartz responded — extending his thanks to Meucci for his long career in local government, and acknowledging his own leadership in protests against the mask and vaccine mandates of yesteryear.

“He’s been in there a long time, and been serving the community a long time — it’s a humbling thing to be asked to serve,” said Schwartz. “We want to get past the COVID — I was spouting off quite a bit about God-given rights a few years ago, in trying to communicate some of the frustrations that the community was feeling.”

Much of the night’s discussion revisited the COVID-19 pandemic. But there was another public health issue at the forefront of everybody’s minds: the new hospital project. The clock is ticking on the major systems of the existing facility. In 2015, Petersburg Medical Center completed a comprehensive facility condition assessment. The results show that almost all major infrastructure and architectural standards were at the end, or had even exceeded their lifecycle.

The latest estimate for the new hospital is $85 million, which medical center CEO Phil Hofstetter says would be paid for by government grants. He says repairing the existing facility could cost the Borough upwards of $110 million. Schwartz said he’s not strictly against the idea of a new hospital. But he said there are a lot of communication issues between the hospital and residents that he wants to help fix. 

“One of [PMC’s] weaknesses was public perception,” said Schwartz. “They really believe they’re doing their due diligence in trying to get information out and getting input from the public. But I think a lot of people — they just have questions that they want answered.”

Rick Perkins, also a newcomer to the ballot, echoed that sentiment.

“There’s a lot of unknowns there,” said Perkins. “I have heard a lot of good from both sides. I think the public needs to be better informed so they can see what direction this is actually heading. I’ve got a lot of research to do.”

Stanton Gregor made his support for the project clear. He served on the assembly for six years and is running again after having lost his seat in the last election. 

“I think I’m the candidate [who] will work with the hospital board, the hospital CEO, and anyone — from a CNA, to the lab techs, to the doctors, to help that project along,” said Stanton Gregor. “I think it’s critical for our future, it’s the hospitals thriving it’s going to make for a thriving community.”

As far as education policy is concerned — Schwartz taught in the Petersburg School District for 26 years, and he said his number one priority is the kids. He agreed with his opponents that the schools deserve financial support. 

“Everything’s getting more expensive — operating, maintenance costs are higher,” said Schwartz. “Having a good school in our town attracts people in, it’s a reason to stay, [and] improves the quality of life.”

Rick Perkins agreed, saying the Borough Assembly made a good decision in raising the local contribution. This summer, the Borough increased its funding to local schools for the first time in 20 years. This followed line-item budget cuts from the state, which administrators say threatened their ability to continue normal operations. Stanton Gregor stood fast in his support for education funding.

“It has been 20 years since local funding has increased, and it’s become even more critical given Governor Don Levy’s pickle has put the state in — in terms of education,” said Stanton Gregor. “I think it is incumbent upon us to fully fund our education in Petersburg.”

The panel also fielded questions about more specific policy issues. Meucci and Stanton Gregor retracted their previously-held positions on the Alaska Natives Without Land campaign. When the congressional delegation asked Petersburg’s Borough Assembly for a letter of support last year, they sent a letter opposing it.

At the forum, both candidates said they’ll get behind the idea if a letter comes before them again. Schwartz and Perkins said they weren’t sure about where they stood on the issue. On specific policy issues, Perkins was forthcoming throughout the night about what he didn’t know. On the Landless Legislation:

“I’ll be honest, I don’t know enough about it to comment on it,” said Perkins.

On childcare needs in the community:

“I don’t have an answer to that, to be honest,” said Perkins. “But I’ll look into that.”

And on staffing and retention in the police department:

“I truly don’t have the answer to that,” said Perkins. “Maybe we should take them fishing? I don’t know.”

But Perkins didn’t hold back about what he did know — and he knows he doesn’t want the Borough expanding its platting authority outside of Service Area 1.

“In plain English, they shouldn’t,” said Perkins. “I don’t see any reason why we should be governed by the Borough. I don’t think they should be involved in what goes on off the road.”

Meucci and Stanton Gregor said they’re open to expanding the Borough’s platting authority. Schwartz said he needed to do some homework on the topic before he forms an opinion. At the end of the night, community members got to step up to the podium and ask the candidates their own questions.

Hospital Board candidate Don Koenigs asked the candidates for assembly if they support Petersburg’s chief of police, Jim Kerr. Stanton Gregor, Schwartz, and Perkins all answered “yes.” But for Meucci — the matter was a bit more complicated. Last year, he was the subject of a workplace harassment complaint filed by Kerr, after he criticized the police chief’s public opposition to enforcing the Borough’s COVID protocols. 

“I found through that process that it’s just best for me not to say anything about the police chief,” said Meucci. “I’ve been advised by the borough attorney that it’s just best not to say anything about that.”

Right now, Chief Kerr is suing the Borough — a fact that Don Koenigs is unquestionably aware of. Koenigs is also suing the Borough for not fulfilling a records request he submitted for Kerr’s original complaint.

You can listen to the borough assembly and hospital board candidate forums in their entirety here.