Sarah Palin: Mayor of Wasilla

Wasilla

Wasilla is the sixth largest city in Alaska. The city is located in the south central part of the state on the northern point of the Cook Inlet in the Matanuska-Sustina Valley. As part of the Anchorage metropolitan area, it has a population of 7,831 as of the 2010 census. The city was named after Chief Wasilla of the Dena'ina Athabascan tribe.

Wasilla has several state and federal offices including the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, the Alaska Department of Labor and Divisions of Public Assistance and Social Services.

Palin's Mayoral Campaigns

Palin served two terms as the mayor of Wasilla, from October 1996 until October 2002. In her first campaign, Palin ran on an aggressive platform targeting high taxes and wasteful spending–which was unusual in what was traditionally a relaxed small-town race. Other issues in her campaign included gun rights, term limits and abortion. She defeated incumbent mayor John Stein by a margin of 651 to 440 votes. In her second campaign, she ran against Stein again and won by a margin of 909 to 292 votes.

Palin's first term was a series of ups and downs. She reduced property taxes by 75 percent and eliminated business inventory taxes in the city of Wasilla by using revenue from a two percent sales tax. She also increased funding to the Police Department, improved roads and sewers, built bike paths, and acquired monies for storm-water treatment and freshwater resources.

At the same time, Palin?s relationship with her staff was strained when she asked for updated resumes and resignation letters from city department heads, including the public works director, finance director and librarian, who had been loyal to her predecessor. She also eliminated the museum director's position, reduced the museum's budget and put a stop to plans for a new library and new city hall.

Perhaps the biggest controversy occurred when Palin fired Police Chief Irl Stambaugh, which she stated was due to Stambaugh?s lack of support. Stambaugh filed a lawsuit stating that he was wrongfully terminated and that his right to free speech was violated. Stambaugh also alleged that he was terminated at the request of the National Rifle Association because he opposed a concealed-gun law. The judge dismissed the case and ruled that the mayor could terminate the police chief for reasons including political disagreements.

In another controversial move, Palin asked library director Mary Ellen Emmons if Emmons would object to removing objectionable books from the library. According to Emmons, Palin posed this question on three separate occasions and each time Emmons stated that she would object. A few months after the last incident, Emmons received a letter stating that she would be fired. The letter did not mention the book removal issue, but said that Palin felt Emmons did not fully support her. After a wave a public support for Emmons, Palin reversed her decision and Emmons kept her job.

Although Palin denied attempting to ban books and stated that her inquiries were rhetorical and a part of policy discussion with a department head, and ultimately no books were removed, the event gave the impression that Palin was a proponent of censorship and was willing to fire anyone who did not agree with her. Although Emmons got her job back, she eventually resigned in 1999, two months before Palin was elected for a second term.

The biggest achievement during Palin's second term was the construction of the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center. The project was funded by a 0.5 percent sales tax increase and a $14.7 million bond. While the facility was built on time and under the projected budget, the project encountered other financial setbacks. The city had to spend another $1.3 million due to an eminent domain lawsuit because it had failed to get clear title to the property before beginning construction. Over time, the total cost of the sports project complex grew to $15 million. The cost of the project, along with a combined $8.5 million for other projects, increased the city's long-term debt to $25 million.

Despite the increased debt, Dianne M. Keller, the current mayor, credits Palin's work while in office with bringing big-box retailers and thousands of shoppers per day to Wasilla.