Kristopher O’Brien

Short Bio: I’m a combat vet that works for the State of Alaska. I own and operate my gun business. I attend church every Sunday, I love God will all my heart and have strong moral values. I do volunteer work and also adopted a highway to help keep the road system clean. I believe family and education are important.

1. What are three main challenges for the City of Valdez in the next five years? As a potential council member, how do you plan to address them?

1.  Focus on the people and businesses here in Valdez. Do more programs for families and more programs for kids. Find ways to keep the people here and businesses open.
2. Stop wasting money on unnecessary things and start saving. Find ways for Valdez to stand on its own feet without Alyeska. Instead of building new things, why not fix and maintain what we have from buildings, streets, hiking trails and parks. Open up Shoup trail to ATV’s halfway if not all the way.
3. Find ways to lower taxes or lower energy costs to help the Valdez people and to bring more people here wanting to make Valdez their home along with new businesses.

2. The City of Valdez has put considerable effort into strategic planning in the last few years, do you feel the current level of planning is lacking, adequate or excessive. Please explain.

First, I think its spending is excessive and second it’s lacking in so many ways to helping Valdez become so much better. Valdez has a lot of potential and the City Council members need to start listening to the people more. Better planning instead of dreaming.