Haines voters will have four candidates to choose from in the municipal election for the Haines Borough Assembly. The terms for assembly members Sean Maidy and Tresham Gregg end this October. Maidy is seeking re-election, but Gregg will not. Barbara Mulford, Will Prisciandaro and Paul Rogers have filed to run for assembly as well.
KHNS spoke with Will Prisciandaro to learn more about the candidate and why he decided to run.
The commercial fisherman has lived in Haines for about twenty years. He and his wife Penny Fossman are raising two daughters who attend the Haines School. Prisciandaro said that the timing is right for him to get more involved in local politics.
“Now that I’ve been here for a while in Haines, I think I have a feel for the community. I think it was just the next thing for me to do is to step up and help the community out.”
Prisciandaro serves on several boards related to local fisheries including the Upper Lynn Canal Fish and Game Advisory Committee, the United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters Association, and the Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association.
Prisciandaro believes he can bring a perspective that the Haines Borough has been lacking. He said there hasn’t been a commercial fisherman on the assembly for a long time.
“I think there are 57 gillnet permits in the borough. It felt like we needed more of a voice here in the borough as issues come up,” Prisciandaro said. “It might have helped if we had a commercial fisherman on the assembly when we were dealing with the boat harbor because that was a big project. I mean, it’s going to benefit all user groups, but especially during the summertime it is very important infrastructure for the fishing fleet here in town.”
Elections for the Haines Borough Assembly take place October 2.
KHNS and the Chilkat Valley News are hosting a candidate forum on September 18 at 6 p.m. in the Chilkat Center. Questions for assembly candidates can be submitted to reporter@khns.org.
