Edna DeVries
Mayor · Matanuska-Susitna Borough
29 articles · 9 transcripts · 7 clips
Matanuska-Susitna Borough, Alaska
Edna DeVries is the Mayor of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough in Alaska, elected to the office in November 2021 after previously serving on the Palmer City Council. She also served as Mayor of the City of Palmer, Alaska, before her election as borough mayor.
Affiliations
Mat-Su's 2027 asks include school debt money, Talkeetna flood help and a stalled railroad
Mat-Su's 2027 wish list: school debt payments from the state, $20 million to protect Talkeetna from the Susitna and $300 million for a stalled railroad.
Mat-Su manager tallies $386 million in outside grants, led by $249 million rail award
Mat-Su Borough is getting $386 million in outside grants, led by $249 million to finish the Port MacKenzie rail extension.
Mat-Su Assembly accepts $2.5 million to refrigerate the ice at Big Lake's rink
Big Lake's rink waits on cold weather to make ice. The Mat-Su Assembly took $2.5 million from the Mat-Su Health Foundation to make its own instead.
Mat-Su Assembly writes scenic trail opposition into Rasmuson grant resolution
Mat-Su Assembly added opposition to National Scenic Trail status for the Alaska Long Trail to a $300,000 grant resolution, citing use restrictions and loss of local control.
Mat-Su Assembly member moves to reconsider the pricier Engstrom-Trunk road route
“Most of the support really were for the southern route, but the assembly did vote 4 to 3 to approve the administration's recommendation for the northern route.”
Mat-Su asks AIDEA to build at Point MacKenzie, not on 20,000 acres near Houston
“the next day there had been reconsideration by an assembly person. So that put the letter on hold, but that also gave, uh, Deputy Mayor time to do a resolution and get it on the agenda for last night.”
Mat-Su explores building the troopers a new home and leasing it back
Mat-Su is exploring building troopers a $13 million facility and leasing it back. Troopers now work from six buildings never designed for police work.
Mat-Su Assembly rejects lowering its property tax cap to 7 mills
“I think the way to do it is to actually make the cuts, not just set an artificial cap.”
Mat-Su sets aside Zero Lake Road land for a future shooting range
“you're going to be safer with something that's going to corral some of these ahoos”
ENSTAR raised its gas line relocation estimates and Mat-Su road budgets absorb the cost
“Enstar basically doubled the cost of all these projects to the tune of almost $700,000 on average. They doubled the cost.”
Alaskans vote today in a primary narrowing the governor, Senate and House races
Alaskans vote today in a primary narrowing crowded races for governor, Senate and House to four each — 17 governor tickets, two Dan Sullivans on the ballot.
More Mat-Su families are paying at the door to keep their power on, as their co-op runs ahead of budget
More Mat-Su families are paying at the door to keep their power on — nearly $472,000 this year — even as their co-op runs $4.9 million ahead of budget.
Hilcorp says opposing the tax isn't opposing the gas line
Hilcorp told the gas-line caucus that opposing a targeted tax on the company isn't opposing the pipeline, even as that tax deadlocks the bill in Juneau.
Enstar tells Alaska Gas Line Caucus it could be 18 days short of gas this winter
Enstar told lawmakers it could run 18 days short of gas this winter if Cook Inlet supply stays low, but the Alaska LNG pipeline pitched to fix the problem won't arrive in time to help.
Legislators to hear the case for a gas line as the effort stalls
A minority caucus will host an Anchorage gasline listening session with only supporters, as the effort sits stalled in a third special session with no bill.
Governor's disaster declaration unlocks state aid for Talkeetna flooding
“And we've seen the revetment in front of our property wash away, and so it's, uh, it's alarming.”
Utility warns of rolling blackouts in Southcentral as soon as this winter
At a Municipality of Anchorage press conference last week, MEA's CEO warned that Southcentral could see rolling blackouts as soon as November if Cook Inlet gas falls short — the first time in 45 years he says he can't guarantee power.
Mat-Su Assembly declares Talkeetna flood emergency, seeks state aid for permanent fix
“we've had to close our business temporarily a few times because of the flooding.”
A $700 property tax break, paid for by a 1% sales tax
Mat-Su voters will decide in November whether to shave about $700 off homeowners' property taxes and pay for it with a 1% sales tax on everyone.
Anchorage's mayor told Senate Finance LNG could cost "tens of millions of dollars"
Anchorage's mayor told Senate Finance LNG would cost "tens of millions" — a number that lands somewhere between $23M and $173M. Her plan targets $23M.
Fairbanks spur line language added to Alaska LNG tax bill
Fairbanks North Star Borough secured a requirement for a gas spur line in the state LNG tax bill. Developers must build the spur to access tax breaks. Costs will spread across Railbelt users to keep rates affordable for 3500 local customers.
Alaska House examines $4 billion LNG equity option, Fairbanks spur-line tax break
Alaska House Finance Committee examined a plan letting the state buy 5 to 25 percent equity stakes in Alaska LNG for up to $4 billion total, while conditioning a tax break for the pipeline on building a 30-mile spur line to Fairbanks.
Five candidates file for Alaska governor in 2026
Five candidates had filed APOC Letters of Intent for Alaska governor through May 29: Tom Begich, Edna DeVries, Dave Bronson, Henry Kroll, and Lesil McGuire. By Monday evening, the field had grown to 17 governor and lieutenant governor tickets on the Alaska Division of Elections list. The August 18 primary advances the top four tickets to a ranked-choice general election November 3.
Five candidates file for Alaska governor in 2026 race
Five candidates filed to run for Alaska governor in 2026, including former senators Lesil McGuire and Tom Begich, former Anchorage mayor Dave Bronson, Mat-Su Borough mayor Edna DeVries, and author Henry Kroll. • Incumbent Mike Dunleavy is term-limited and cannot seek a third consecutive term. • The nonpartisan primary is August 18, 2026, with the general election November 3, 2026.
Former state senator Lesil McGuire files for Alaska governor
Former state senator Lesil McGuire filed an APOC Letter of Intent for governor on May 29 and rounded out a Lesil McGuire and Elizabeth Rexford ticket by the June 1 deadline. The Alaska Division of Elections listed 17 governor and lieutenant governor tickets as of Monday evening, spanning Republicans, Democrats, and nonpartisan pairings. The August 18 primary advances the top four tickets to a ranked-choice general election November 3.
Assembly transfers nine riverfront parcels to state for erosion control
Alaska borough transfers nine riverfront parcels to the state to build erosion barriers before the Matanuska River threatens the highway.
Mat-Su Assembly blocks sales tax proposal before public hearing
Mat-Su Assembly blocked a 1.5% sales tax proposal before public hearing, voting 6-3 to remove it from the agenda. • Assemblymember Nowers wanted to pair the tax with a $75,000 property tax exemption for homeowners. • Opponents said it added taxes rather than replacing them. A different 6.5% sales tax proposal remains scheduled for June 16 hearing.
Alaska House Rewrites LNG Tax Bill, Raising Rate While Empowering Boroughs
Alaska House raised the LNG pipeline tax to 15 cents per thousand cubic feet and gave boroughs power to negotiate property taxes on gas facilities instead of a uniform state rate.
Mayors Oppose Alaska LNG Tax Bill, Cite Revenue Concerns
Five Alaska borough mayors told lawmakers the proposed Alaska LNG tax bill would slash municipal revenues by up to 90 percent, prompting the Senate to delay it for further review.