Frontiersman

MAT-SU - The Mat-Su Borough Assembly's loss is Palmer's gain.

The assembly became one man short at Tuesday night's regular meeting when member Bill Allen popped in long enough to resign his District 2 seat. District 2 includes the Palmer and the greater Palmer area. Allen's voice wavered as he announced to his fellow assembly members that he would relinquish his seat immediately.

"I hold you folks in high regard and high esteem," Allen said.

Allen leaves Borough government to accept the position of Palmer city manager. As a city manager, Allen said he would have a conflict of interest if he remained an assembly member.

"Under the advice of council I will resign tonight and it is effective immediately," Allen said. He arrived late to the assembly meeting and cast no votes. He signed off by saying, "I vacate the chair now."

Borough Mayor Curt Menard thanked Allen for his years of public service.

"It was my honor to serve with you," Menard said. "Congratulations for your service and my God be with you."

Menard then ribbed Allen for the new relationship Borough will have with Palmer's city manager.

"We'll be seeing you with your hand out," Menard quipped.

Allen left the room to a round of applause.

Mat-Su Borough Attorney Nicholas Spiropoulos said the assembly must fill Allen's seat within 30 days. With the Borough's election set for Oct. 2, it will depend on when Allen's seat is officially vacated and when a newly elected assembly member officially takes the seat, he said.

Spiropoulos believes Allen's seat was vacated automatically when Allen accepted a new job because Allen would have a conflict of interest being both assembly member and city manager.

"By taking the new job, he has vacated his seat, as a matter of law," Spiropoulos said.

The last time the assembly filled a vacated seat it advertised in newspapers and solicited for that appointment, clerk Michelle McGehee said. Assembly then met and compiled questions and set up interviews much like those conducted for executive positions.

Allen has had a long career in public service.

President George W. Bush appointed Allen to be the Alaska State Director for U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development. Allen was commissioner for Alaska Gov. Jay Hammond's administration and has served as mayor of the Fairbanks/North Star Borough.

Allen has also had a rich private career. He was the head of a commercial real estate development business and he owned and operated a commercial property management company. Allen wrapped up his banking career as a vice president with Alaska Pacific Bancorp.

After graduating from Lathrop High School in Fairbanks, Allen earned a degree from the University of Washington Pacific Coast Banking School.

Allen and his wife, Sharon Allen, live in Palmer. They have eight children.

Contact Russell Stigall at 352-2267 or russell.stigall@frontiersman.com.