Before the Koch brothers spent millions trying to tell Alaskans what to think about him, and before he was a successful U.S. senator working on behalf of all Alaskans, I had the pleasure of working with then-Mayor Mark Begich as the director of Anchorage Downtown Partnership. Together we listened to our community to brainstorm ideas and envision a thriving downtown community to serve as a source of economic and cultural activity that would bring opportunities to all of Alaska's diverse residents.
When Mayor Begich entered office in 2003, he inherited a $33 million structural deficit. He had to make tough calls to decrease department budgets and work with the Anchorage Assembly to find a path forward to right Anchorage's ship. He was successful.
Mayor Begich faced a variety of challenges, including public safety issues on our streets, lack of affordable housing options, and a perception of downtown as being unfriendly toward pedestrians. He proved his leadership skills by facing these challenges head-on and partnering with anyone willing to help. He had a true commitment to finding solutions that fit within the reality of a limited city budget. City budgets, for the information of all Alaskans, are considered and voted on by the Anchorage Assembly. Under Mayor Begich's two terms, the Assembly voted six times to approve his recommended budgets, three times unanimously. Even current Mayor Dan Sullivan gave his support.
In 2004, I took part in then-Mayor Begich's task force on homelessness with the goal of immediately increasing safety for Anchorage's homeless population and eventually creating a rapid connection to safe and affordable housing for persons newly identified as homeless. We focused on the need for housing as the first step to addressing chronic homelessness. At the same time, then-Mayor Begich implemented a law banning panhandling along with an information campaign to improve the safety of our streets and direct those in need to agencies equipped to help them.
Under Mayor Begich's direction, we created the Anchorage Downtown Comprehensive Plan in 2007 and identified several sites for strategic development. The idea was to leverage limited public funds in public/private partnerships to boost the potential for investment in the surrounding areas. One of those sites now holds the Dena'ina Civic and Convention Center, which draws massive foot traffic to the area and is a boon for Anchorage. The Dena'ina Center, now an icon of our city, was funded at no cost to taxpayers. Furthermore, Mayor Begich demanded a $2 million fee from the builders if they were to delay the completion of the building or exceed the budget estimate. The Dena'ina Center was complete early and came in under budget.
Mark Begich has repeatedly shown Alaskans he brings private industry and public partners to the table to find smart solutions to serious problems. His administration worked tirelessly to get Anchorage on strong footing that was instrumental in helping us weather the economic downturn of 2009 that cratered budgets and bond ratings of cities across the country. He delivered us safer streets, growing businesses, stronger schools, more roads with better infrastructure, and a thriving city that I'm proud to call home. Mark Begich's legacy as a pragmatic and fiscally responsible mayor made his success for Alaska as a U.S. senator no surprise. Let's continue to support Sen. Begich as he works with those willing to help to find solutions for Alaska.
Becky Beck was executive director of Anchorage Downtown Partnership Ltd. during the time Sen. Mark Begich was mayor of Anchorage.
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