The City and Borough of Juneau has picked up five new Assembly members in the past two elections, including Greg Smith, Alicia Hughes-Skandijs and Carole Triem, who mean the new-look Assembly skews younger. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

The City and Borough of Juneau has picked up five new Assembly members in the past two elections, including Greg Smith, Alicia Hughes-Skandijs and Carole Triem, who mean the new-look Assembly skews younger. (Michael Penn | Juneau Empire)

New-look, younger Assembly will shape future close votes

Millennials will have a big hand in what comes next for CBJ

The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly looks a lot different than it did 13 months ago.

After Tuesday’s election, six of nine members from the 2017-18 Assembly will either no longer hold city office, be on their way out, or, in the case of Assembly member-turned Mayor Beth Weldon, filling a new role in city government.

The newest face is Greg Smith, who is slotted to fill a three-year District 1 Assembly seat to be vacated by Mary Becker. After three terms, Becker could not seek re-election this year.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

With the addition of newcomer Smith, who did not return calls seeking comment Wednesday, five of nine Assembly members will be within their first 18 months in office, and the new-look Assembly skews younger.

“It’s really exciting,” said Assembly member Carole Triem, who won an uncontested race Tuesday, in a phone interview.

In the past, Triem has said it’s important to keep a millennial perspective in mind when discussing issues like climate change that will affect future generations. Now she, Smith and Assembly member Alicia Hughes-Skandijs, who is posed to fill a one-year District 1 seat, fill that role.

”I’m sure you could tell from the energy last night, we’re all really happy to be working together, and that includes Wade (Bryson), who is not a Millennial,” Triem said.

Smith, Triem, Bryson, and Hughes-Skandijs all wore celebratory smiles at City Hall Tuesday night as election results came in and seemed pleased at the idea of serving together.

[Election night winners and losers and races too close to call]

The three incumbents, Triem, Bryson and Hughes-Skandijs, all secured second terms by virtue of races that featured as many openings as candidates, but all re-elected incumbents are still just finishing out their first years in office.

Last year, multi-term Assembly members Jerry Nankervis and Jesse Kiehl left the Assembly for runs at state offices. Mayor Ken Koelsch, who served on the Assembly before winning a 2016 special mayoral election, declined to run for office again. Weldon, who was an Assembly member, stepped down to successfully ran for mayor, and Norton Gregory, another 2017-18 Assembly member also stepped down for the mayoral race.

The fresh faces now make up a 5-4 majority on the Assembly since Michelle Bonnet Hale was also elected in last year’s shakeup. While Assembly members said they all work well together they don’t vote in a bloc.

“Juneau has been lucky. The big things we didn’t want to have happen, partisanship and lines being drawn, didn’t happen,” Bryson said. “Over the last couple of years, the Assembly went from contentious and divisive to getting along better and working more cooperatively than any group I’ve participated in.”

Triem said more experienced members of the Assembly — Weldon, Maria Gladziszewski and Loren Jones — have helped ease the learning curve for for newer members, and she was hard-pressed to name an issue that will specifically be influenced by the Assembly’s new makeup.

While narrow Assembly votes aren’t especially common, occasionally contentious issues result narrow votes.

In the past year, onsite consumption of marijuana produced split votes at the committee and Assembly levels. Some members favored allowing onsite consumption that meets state regulations, which allow for both smoking and edibles. A few favored edibles only, and Becker opposed any onsite consumption.

Ultimately, onsite consumptions of edibles in spaces that meet state-mandated requirements and outdoor smoking at requirement-meeting venues were approved.

Possibly revisiting a controversial pursuit of annexing lands that include a portion of Admiralty Island — an area traditionally associated with Angoon — also recently produced a close vote. However, a 5-3 vote in July stopped the reconsideration and means the matter is moving forward with a public process that will put the matter to the state Legislature before annexation can happen.

While both matters are settled, future close votes will be decided by the Assembly’s newest members.

[Author from Juneau publishes debut novel]

Triem said she would be hardpressed to name a specific issue, aside from climate change, that she thinks will be specifically impacted by the Assembly’s younger makeup.

“I think a lot of the kind of normal local government issues, it’s probably not going to be prominent that there’s the millennial perspective,” Triem said.

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of March 23

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

President Donald Trump delivers remarks at an event where he announced new tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House, in Washington, on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. President Trump unveiled his most expansive tariffs to date in a ceremony at the White House on Wednesday afternoon, saying he would impose a 10 percent tariff on all trading partners. (Haiyun Jiang/The New York Times)
Trump imposes vast global tariffs; some key partners hit hard

©10% tariff for all countries; trading partners like China, Japan and Europe face significantly higher rates.

Tidal Echoes editors Annie Kessler and Adonis Scalia holding 2025 editions (Photo from @uas.tidalechoes on Instagram)
Tidal Echoes launches 2025 literary and arts journal Friday at UAS

Featured artist Mark Sixby and writer Corinna Cook will discuss works at unveiling.

Clockwise from top center: Malia Towne, Mackenzie Englishoe, Sophie Swope and Jazmyn Lee Vent. (Image by Mer Young/High Country News)
How Alaska Native youth are protecting the land for their future ancestors

Four women devoting careers to preservation of Indigenous lifeways under threat in Alaska.

Art by Christine Kleinhenz of Tide Watcher will be featured at The Bear’s Lair as part of First Friday in April. (Juneau Arts and Humanities Council photo)
Here’s what’s happening for First Friday in April

A poster tribute leading up to the 50th Alaska Folk Festival and… Continue reading

(Michael Penn / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police calls for Sunday, March 30, 2025

This report contains public information from law enforcement and public safety agencies.

A Capital City Transit Center electric bus (left) and diesel bus (right) wait for passengers at the Downtown Transit Center on Friday, March 7, 2025. (Jasz Garrett / Juneau Empire)
Capital Transit is constructing a charging station for its new electric buses

Capital Transit superintendent says fleet offering better experience than first electric bus received in 2020.

Signs at the front of the Alaska State Capitol on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, indicate a designated entrance for legislators and their staff, and direct members of the public to a separate door. The signs were in anticipation of a security screening policy that was put on hold, but on Monday a similar policy was approved by the Legislative Council. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Airport-style security screening coming soon to Alaska State Capitol after Legislative Council’s OK

“It will probably be a couple weeks before it’s all in place,” says Rep. Sara Hannan, the council’s chair.

Most Read