Campaign to remove Palmer mayor leads by two votes

Drama at the City of Palmer continues.

The polls closed late Tuesday, May 20, on a special election to remove Mayor Steve Carrington. An initial count late Tuesday showed the “yes” (removal) campaign leading by two votes, 99 to 97.

Absentee votes, early ballots cast and questioned ballots are not yet included in the count. An updated vote tally will be posted Friday afternoon, the city said.

Carrington has been targeted by a local activist group for his retaining of outside legal counsel to help draft a separation agreement for Steven Jellie, the former Palmer city manager who resigned. Carrington said the city had used the outside counsel, an attorney in Ketchikan, previously on other legal matters.

He had decided not to use Palmer’s contract city attorney, Sarah Heath, because she had taken part in the effort to oust Jellie by reading a memorandum critical of the former city manager into the public record when it should have been delivered to the city council for any public release.

This is a developing story.