A fourth candidate has joined the race for a seat on the Sitka Assembly. Downtown business owner Tracie Castle, who owns Forget Me Not Gifts, Souvenirs, and Stained Glass, filed with the city on Tuesday. KCAW sat down with Castle to hear more about her campaign and what she hopes to accomplish if elected.
KCAW: So to start, why are you running for a seat on the Sitka Assembly?
CASTLE: Basically, you cannot expect change unless you’re willing to step up and be a voice for your fellow constituents or your neighbors. And I think that our town has gotten, I don’t know how to quite put it, like suppressed in their voice, and I would like to bring that back to the people and let them know that their commitment to the City of Sitka is important and valued and it should be heard.
KCAW: If elected, what will you bring to the table? What would you like to tell Sitkans?
CASTLE: My mission is to ensure a friendly, small town approach to our city through transparency. I would like to commit to addressing some of our housing deficits, our high cost of living, and especially our high energy bills. And I also plan to ensure that our assembly collaborates together to build a stronger and more sustainable future for our residents, our businesses and our guests.
KCAW: So you mentioned some really big issues affecting Sitka. If you could pick one of those, how would you go about approaching it if you’re elected on the Sitka Assembly?
CASTLE: I would say that I would be a great listener, and you need to be able to collaborate as a unit. Like with the City Assembly currently, I think there’s some deviation, and it’s okay to have differences of opinion. But I believe that they sometimes separate that out, and there needs to be more of a uniform collaboration on especially the tough decisions that need to be made, and I believe that our citizens should have a voice in those decisions that are being made and being counter weighted against the decision that’s being made. So I think being a good listener, to listen to the people and what they’re wanting, and then trying to bring that to [fruition], so that all parties are are happy and have a positive experience.
KCAW: And is there anything that you think Sitkans should know about you or your campaign?
CASTLE: As far as me as a person, it’s black or white. I am just me, and I’m as honest as the day is long. I don’t deviate from that. I’ve got a great structural set of values that I don’t deviate from those as well. And I’m just a kind, good hearted person.
KCAW: Well, thank you. Is there anything else I should have asked you or you’d like to share?
CASTLE: You know, I think the biggest reason that I said that I wanted to do this was because I just sat back in my seat one day and I thought, ‘I can’t complain about what’s going on with the city if I’m not willing to stand up and and be a voice for the people.’ I raised seven kids, so I have it within me to be that voice, and I carry that voice, but I just felt like I couldn’t complain about what was going on if I didn’t get into the mix. I live in this town too, and there’s great things about it, and there’s not some great things about it, and that’s okay. That’s part of life. But I’d rather be part of the solution, as opposed to part of the problem. And I feel by stepping forward and being in the assembly, I’m definitely moving my foot one step further to being part of the solution. And that’s what gives me good graces at night is. I can help wherever I can help. And if the people elect me to do that then that’s what I’ll do.
Sitkans will be voting to fill two open seats on the Sitka Assembly and two seats on the school board in the upcoming municipal election. Both assembly seats and one school board seat are three-year terms, and one school board seat is a two-year term. The filing period to run for a seat is open until 5 p.m. on Aug. 8. Sitka’s municipal election is Tuesday, Oct. 7.
