Colberg’s in

PALMER — Talis Colberg said he’s ready to get to work in his new job as mayor of the Matanuska-Susitna Borough.

“I’m very happy. I was pleased with the outcome,” he said. “I was surprised at the margin; I didn’t anticipate that,” Colberg said via cell phone Thursday as he drove to the Valley to attach “thank you” placards to his campaign signs.

Though results posted on the borough’s Web page weren’t official as of press time, Colberg, a former borough assemblyman and former attorney general for the state, appeared to have won Tuesday’s election by a wide margin. He took more than 60 percent of the vote.

To avoid a runoff election, the winner had to receive more than 40 percent. The election was for a very abbreviated tenure — the seat is up for election in October.

Colberg’s 2,541 votes were more than triple those of his next closest competitor, former Army officer and current Butte resident Bruce Walden, who took in 772 votes. The only other candidate in triple digits was Steve Menard, a former Wasilla city councilman and son of late Mayor Curt Menard whose death in early March opened up the seat. Menard took 452 votes.

The other four candidates took home the following totals: Former boxer and boxing promoter Emil “Butch” Fondahn – 59, Palmer farmer and regular audience member at borough assembly meetings John Leiner – 42, handyman, farm hand and farm preservation advocate Frank Shor – 45 and dog musher and carpenter David Straub – 54.

Since Curt Menard died, Assemblywoman Lynne Woods, in her role as deputy mayor, has stepped in to run the meetings and hold down other duties of the mayor. She said Thursday she was happy to do the work but also happy to be handing the gavel to Colberg. With mayor duties off her plate, she’ll be able to get back to working for her district — Butte, Sutton and points east.

“I look forward to just being able to focus my efforts on things that residents of my district feel are important,” she said.

She said she worked with Colberg in the past, when they both served on the assembly, and looks forward to doing so again.

“He’s intelligent, thoughtful, we basically agree on many things. I think there are some things we disagree on but that’s as it should be,” she said.

Colberg said he has been told he will be sworn in June 23.

“This is probably as good a time as any to make a transition,” he said, since the assembly’s busy period — the budget period between January and May — has passed.

In the borough, the mayor’s spot doesn’t come with a lot of power. The mayor mainly breaks ties, runs assembly meetings and appoints members to borough boards and commissions. Borough Manager John Duffy does most of the borough’s day-to-day work.

But the position has another, more ambassadorial role, in that the mayor is often asked to represent the borough. And, Colberg said, he’s ready for those duties.

“I had a chance to talk to (Anchorage) Mayor (elect Dan) Sullivan about a week before the election,” he said.

Colberg and Sullivan were assemblymen at the same time — Sullivan in Anchorage and Colberg in the borough. When they chatted just prior to the election, Colberg said, they talked about the Anchorage landing for the borough’s ice-breaking ferry. Borough officials said recently that trouble with their planned landing will likely delay for a year or more the start of ferry service. Colberg said Sullivan expressed support for building an Anchorage landing.

He said he’s also planning to sit down soon and talk with Duffy about what’s going on and what needs attention.

“I look forward to getting back into the borough and seeing what can be done,” Colberg said.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiersman.com or 352-2270.