Houston News

The Valley's borough and state political leaders met this week to try to make sure the Valley's top road, building and other projects get adequate funding in the state budget next year.

The city of Houston will have the same mayor for another year. Houston is a second-class city, which means the council chooses the mayor and deputy mayor from within its ranks after each municipal election.

A budget shortfall has forced severe cuts in the Valley's bus system, reducing both trips and drivers, and stranding at home, at least temporarily, some people who have grown to rely on the buses.

Borough voters will be asked to decide Tuesday if they want lower property taxes bad enough to pay a tax every time they buy something.

The Oct. 6 elections are just two weeks away. In Matanuska-Susitna Borough city of Houston, the ballot includes a referendum on the future direction of the city.

The Pioneer Lodge a ' a popular landmark restaurant in Willow - burned down to the ground in the early morning hours on Wednesday.

Houston Mayor Roger Purcell and Fire Chief Tom Hood stand in front of a new piece of heavy-duty firefighting equipment the city bought from the Anchorage Fire Department.

Houston Mayor Roger Purcell and Fire Chief Tom Hood stand in front of a new piece of heavy-duty firefighting equipment the city bought from the Anchorage Fire Department.

A proposed sales tax/property tax cap measure on its way to the ballot box in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley's October election looks very basic on the surface, offering to tax relief to property owners along with a borough-wide sales tax not to exceed 3 percent.

An Aug. 18 settlement of a lawsuit between the cities of Wasilla and Houston and the Anchorage Metropolitan Area Transportation Solutions committee has returned the planned $700 million Knik Arm crossing project to its original schedule in the Anchorage long-range transportation plan.

The Knik Arm bridge project is back on the books in the short-range part of Anchorage's transportation plan.

BALLOT: Voters to decide fate of combination of sales and property levies. Published: August 5th, 2009 10:04 PM Last Modified: August 5th, 2009 10:04 PM The Mat-Su Assembly voted 5-1 Tuesday to overturn a veto issued by Borough Mayor Talis Colberg that would have kept a combination sales tax/property tax cap measure off the October municipal ...

BALLOT: Voters to decide fate of combination of sales and property levies. Published: August 5th, 2009 10:04 PM Last Modified: August 5th, 2009 10:04 PM The Mat-Su Assembly voted 5-1 Tuesday to overturn a veto issued by Borough Mayor Talis Colberg that would have kept a combination sales tax/property tax cap measure off the October municipal ...

Now that all of the contenders have filed, it's clear that Valley voters will have their hands full this fall, with seven borough-wide races and more in each city.

Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman: Rumors are flying about a possible secession attempt in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough's northern reaches.

Wasilla, Houston: Valley cities sue to keep Anchorage from dropping Knik Arm Crossing.

A state judge heard arguments Friday from the mayors of two Mat-Su towns who want to block a decision to push the proposed Knik Arm crossing further back in Anchorage's transportation plan, and scheduled another hearing in mid-July. The mayors of Houston and Wasilla claim in a suit filed last week that the AMATS Policy Committee broke federal ...

The Anchorage Assembly has unanimously backed delaying construction of a bridge across Knik Arm from the city to Point MacKenzie in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

Wednesday afternoon pleas to either keep or axe the bridge some still call a "bridge to nowhere," could be heard inside Assembly chambers.

The cities of Wasilla and Houston filed suit Tuesday seeking to stop a city-state transportation committee from considering a proposal to delay the Knik Arm crossing project.