Disgruntled Big Lake residents seek recall of assemblyman Mokie Tew

A Big Lake resident has filed a petition calling for the recall of Mat-Su Borough Assesmblyman Mokie Tew who represents District 5 in the borough, which includes Big Lake.

The petition was filed Wednesday by Terry Gorlick, borough clerk Lonnie McKechnie confirmed. Gorlick has nine other Big Lake residents as cosponsors on the petition, he said.

One other cosponsor is Irene Crowley, also of Big Lake, but the names of others were not available at press time.

Gorlick is required to spell out his reasons for the recall in the petition but the document has not yet been made available because it is still under legal review at the borough.

However, it is known that Tew’s actions on the assembly regarding a road service contract in the Big Lake area ruffled local residents.

Many feel he is not working in the best interest of District 5 residents, Gorlick and others said.

“I had supported Mokie financially and put up signs and promoted Mokie to friends and anyone who would listen,” Gorlick said Thursday in an email.

However, certain actions caused him “to look deeper into Tew’s past practices,” including incidents related by friends and neighbors in the Big Lake area, he said in the email.

It is not known whether local voters will agree with the reasons stated for the recall once they become known, if the matter gets to a special election.

More information is coming, Gorlick said. “We will supply, in the petition to sign, more than enough information and references to direct code provisions so that each person will be able to determine the conclusions we came to,” he said in an email.

McKechnie said the borough must follow guidelines in state law on recalls. She said she has turned Gorlick’s petition over to outside legal counsel for an opinion.

“When I get it I will review it (the opinion) and make a decision on whether I agree with it,” she said.

“If the petition is found to be legally valid I will then prepare an official petition,” McKechnie said, to be used to gather signatures” from registered voters in District 5 asking that the question appear on the ballot in an election.

Approximately 25 percent of the number of registered voters in District 5 are required to sign the petitions, and the signatures must be verified as to be authentic by the borough clerk, McKechnie.

Once the petition is approved the sponsors have 60 days to gather voters’ signatures, she said.

State law provides that if there is no regular election scheduled within a certain time period a special election will be held. The city of Palmer went through a similar process with an effort currently underway there to recall three members of the city council.