Anderson sworn in as borough mayor

PALMER -- The election is officially over -- really.

The Mat-Su Borough Assembly met Monday to certify the election and recount in the borough mayor's race, and to witness the swearing in of Tim Anderson.

Gerry Keeling, chairman of the borough canvassing board, said Anderson gained two votes through the recount, and challenger Charlie Fannon gained three, leaving a five-vote split between the two candidates. Keeling said she was confident the results were right on.

"It was very tidily done," Keeling said. "It was very accurate and exact, and well-maintained, as to the records that were kept."

After the results were accepted and Anderson was sworn in, Palmer Mayor Jim Cooper addressed the assembly, reiterating his respect for the dedication of the canvassing board and for the accuracy of the Accu-Vote machine, which was tested by a hand-counted review of the ballots through the recount. But, Cooper pointed out, the voters had given the assembly and mayor a message.

"It's also extremely important to note that there's no clear mandate by the voters," Cooper said. "We need to put aside our differences to make the Mat-Su Borough a better place to live -- that's what we truly want."

Assembly member Jim Colver differed in his interpretation of the votes. He said Anderson's win was impressive because he was up against a larger candidate than Fannon alone. Anderson, he said, was outspent by a two-to-one margin, and won the support of the voters by questioning the need for developing coal-bed methane without regulations first in place.

"I think the public has spoken -- I think they do want protections, and they are concerned," Colver said.

Anderson said he wasn't surprised by the split vote since Valley residents have a history of holding very different views on many issues. He reiterated his goal -- to find consensus.

"It's always been my goal to find compromise -- and sometimes you can do that and sometimes you can't," Anderson said. "I'm very proud of the basic government services we provide. I'm looking forward to the next three years to continue what we're doing, and the good service we're providing. We've got a lot of tough tasks ahead."