Chandra Clack, Jeff Jacobson run for North Pole City Council seats

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - Chandra Clack and Jeff Jacobson are running for seats on the North Pole City Council.

Clack said she’d like to be able to contribute to her city. “I’m a can-do person. I would like to be able to help our community in any way possible, and that’s kind of my goal if I get elected, is some way to help our community.”

Clack wants to see more activities for children in North Pole. “I’m a grandmother, and sometimes it’s hard to find things for kids who like indoor activities, and so that makes it hard for the kids that are indoor activity people to do things outside when you try to get them out,” she said, adding, “I’d like to see the housing get taken care of for military, and moreso for the Alaskans that live here. I’d like to see more activities in North Pole. I’d like to hopefully see some more stores come out that people from Salcha and Eielson don’t have to go all the way into Fairbanks to go shopping.”

Clack says she’s lived in Fairbanks and North Pole for 41 years. “Your vote counts, and when you don’t vote and you just kick back and fuss and argue about what the cities haven’t done, it makes it hard for those of us that are in office to do what you would like for us to do. If you go and vote, you’re able to select the candidates you would like to have in office to do what you would like for them to do when you go to speak to them.”

Jacobson said he’s lived in North Pole since 1989 and loves the community. “We raised our five children there. They’ve gone to North Pole Elementary, North Pole Middle School, North Pole High School. I was a teacher at North Pole Middle School teaching sixth grade for 27 years, and it’s just been a wonderful place to raise a family and also to work, and so this is my way of giving back to the community that has given me so much.”

Jacobson has previously served on the council and as the city’s mayor. “I want to keep the momentum going. When I was the mayor, our population was barely 1400 to 1500 hundred people and it’s almost double. The resources the city has now are much greater than we had before, and so the opportunities and options that we have to improve our services, help our residents, are much more.”

Jacobson wants to listen to what residents want for their community. “My ultimate goal is that one day no one will have to drive into Fairbanks for anything. It will be right here in North Pole, in the North Pole community. Not that Fairbanks is a bad place to shop, but if you always have to go there because there’s nothing available in North Pole, in your home town. It’s... we can do better.”

Clack and Jacobson will appear on the ballot for North Pole residents in the municipal elections on October 4.

There are two seats up for election on the council, and voters are able to mark up to two candidates on their ballots.

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