WMC Board petitions certified by Borough Clerk

The eight petitions asking to recall members of the Wrangell Medical Center (WMC) Board of Directors have been certified by the Borough Clerk Christie Jamieson.

The petitions could now move forward to a special election, allowing the residents of Wrangell to vote if they want eight of the nine WMC Board members recalled.

Ballot propositions in the form of ordinances have to be prepared and approved by the Borough Assembly to become recall ballots for a special election, Jamieson said at Tuesday’s Assembly meeting. Those ordinances will be presented to the Assembly at its April 24 meeting, Jamieson said.

If approved, the ordinances will move to a public hearing and second reading on May 8. And, should the city move forward with a special election, that election would be held June 12, Jamieson said.

The recall petitions were filed with the city March 29, and after finding they were sufficient, Jamieson released them back to the main sponsors early last week.

Wrangell resident Gary Allen, Sr. is listed as the primary sponsor of the eight petitions, and Michael V. Ottesen, Sr. is the alternate sponsor.

WMC Board members included in the petitions include Linda Bjorge, Sylvia Ettefagh, Jake Harris, Lurine McGee, Jim Nelson, Dee Norman, and LeAnn Rinehart and Mark Robinson

Each of the eight petitions needed a minimum of 94 signatures within 60 days.

However, in just several days, the petition sponsors had gathered at least 120 signatures on each of the recall petitions and turned them back into the city April 5 and 6.

Jamieson certified the eight recall petitions late Monday, she said. Letters were sent to Allen and Ottesen stating the sufficiency of the petitions and signed by Jamieson.

Three of the recall petitions had to be turned into City Hall by April 5, as three WMC Board members’ terms expire later this year.

According to city ordinance, a recall petition is not valid if the elected officials’ term included in the recall expires within 180 days of the petition being filed with signatures. Friday, April 6 marked 180 days before WMC Board members McGee, Norman and Rinehart’s terms expire. Those recall petitions were turned into the city April 5 with the required number of signatures and later certified by Jamieson.

The remaining eight recall petitions and signatures were turned into the city April 6.

The petitions gathered between 120 and 127 signatures each, according to Jamieson’s letters to the petition sponsors.