Recall effort not based on facts and was not positive
The past year has been difficult for everyone. My family has been acutely aware of the issues surrounding COVID-19, and Lynn and I have lived every day knowing that our actions have a direct impact on our friends and neighbors. But inaction also can have consequences. We take this responsibility very seriously.
As mayor, I was faced with difficult and consequential leadership decisions. Early on, an emergency order was adopted that gave authority to the city manager or mayor to make rapid, unilateral decisions for public safety. I said at the time that I would always bring every mandate forward to the assembly for a vote and would not initiate unilateral actions. I never violated this pledge.
In the last emergency order, I asked that the provision for unilateral action by the city manager or mayor be removed, and it was. I have never independently imposed any mandate on the residents of Wrangell.
The assembly has instituted several measures for public safety. These were voted on and passed by a majority of assembly members. Some of these went into place and within days were replaced by state mandates that were more restrictive than the actions taken locally.
I highlight this to explain why the recall petition that was initiated by Don McConachie Sr. and Jim Debord was groundless, ill-conceived and a waste of taxpayer money. This effort cost the city thousands of dollars in attorney fees and staff time, and had it gone to the Alaska Supreme Court it would have cost tens of thousands of dollars more.
Don has repeatedly stated that I called the emergency meeting in question and violated the Open Meetings Act. I didn’t call the emergency meeting.
Don stated publicly after the recall petition was filed that even if I didn’t call the meeting, I am still responsible for the meeting. This is implying that if I don’t agree with the topic of a meeting I can somehow cancel or change the meeting. The city manager and any two assembly members or the mayor can call meetings. The mayor does not get to decide if and when meetings are held. The city manager called the emergency meeting, and the clerk worked with the city attorney on the timing and notices.
In the petition, the recall organizers quote the Special Meetings Statute (Wrangell Municipal Code 3.04.090 ) and say I violated the 48-hour notice provision. This is the wrong statute: It is for special meetings, not emergency meetings. The city does not have an emergency meeting statute. We use Alaska State Statute 44.62.310-.312. It states that an emergency meeting can be held with 12-hour notice or less, as long as all assembly members have been notified.
The statute was satisfied in this case because the governor had declared a state of emergency, and all assembly members were notified and were present for the meeting.
The final statute that they claim I violated is AS 44.62.312. This statute has to do with individual rights and individual sovereignty. I guess that if you look at any rule or bylaw passed by the assembly it could be viewed by some as an infringement on someone’s freedom. However, adopting ordinances is one of the duties of municipal government.
The assembly voted to adopt a temporary mask wearing ordinance to protect the public. Somehow this has been equated to the collapse of individual freedom in our community.
The bottom line is that Don and Jim call out the full assembly for taking certain actions but blame me individually. Don said the recall was a good thing, and that he does not want it to be viewed negatively. It is very difficult for me to view the recall effort as a positive event.
Stephen Prysunka
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