The ballot for next month’s municipal election is still two names short, with vacancies on the Borough Assembly and Port Commission left without candidates. A few other positions will go uncontested, with Assembly member Julie Decker running for reelection to a three-year term unopposed, as is Port Commission incumbent John Yeager.
Two unexpired two-year terms on the Wrangell Medical Center Board are uncontested as well, with incumbent Olinda White and newcomer Patrick Mayer applying for the seats.
One full four-year term on the hospital board is being contested, with incumbents Barbara Conine and Marlene Messmer both running for reelection. Two of the board’s nine seats are being removed this year, after the Assembly this summer found the hospital board had been having difficulties in filling vacancies and meeting quorum requirements.
Vying for two three-year seats on the Wrangell Public School Board are four candidates: incumbent Rinda Howell, Georgianna Buhler, Scott Seddon and Robert Rang. The two candidates with the greatest number of votes will be elected to serve the terms.
For the position of mayor, current incumbent David Jack will be running for another two-year term against resident Kipha Valvoda. The two had both run for the position during the 2014 municipal election, with Jack winning then by a four-to-one margin.
For those wishing to run as a write-in candidate for any of the available seats, a prospective candidate must file a letter of intent with the city clerk no later than September 30. Write-in votes cast for individuals who do not file a letter of intent are otherwise not counted.
“Anybody can write in for anything,” explained clerk Kim Lane. To her memory, there has not yet been an instance where a council position has gone through an election without any assigned candidate. In the event no candidates come forward for inclusion as a write-in, she said the Assembly has the power to appoint someone to the position after the election, to serve a one-year term until the next municipal election in 2017.
Appearing on the ballot October 4 will be one proposed amendment to the Home Rule Charter. Proposition 1 asks a yes or no question, whether to “repeal Section 3-10, Nolan Museum and Civic Center, as set forth in Ordinance No. 919.”
Passage would entail the permanent dissolution of the Nolan Museum and Civic Center Board. As with other public committees and boards, it has experienced difficulty in finding people to fill vacancies, while still costing the city money to meet. Its essential functions were also found by the Assembly to be redundant, largely being served already by the Friends of the Wrangell Museum.
Those wishing to vote in this year’s election will need to have already registered as a Wrangell resident. Voters may register or update their existing voter record on the State of Alaska’s web site by accessing the new Online Voter Registration System at http://www.voterregistration.alaska.gov.
The election itself will be held on October 4 inside the Nolan Center, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Absentee voting in-person begins September 19 at City Hall during regular operating hours, continuing until October 3 at 5 p.m.
For more information, visit the city website at http://www.wrangell.com or inspect the materials available on a designated table inside the City Hall entryway.
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