Mat-Su Borough special election unofficial results-all proposals likely to pass.

Mat-Su Borough held a special election Tuesday, and residents had the chance to vote on 4 Ballot Propositions. To date, 7,226 ballots were cast out of a population of nearly 91,000, meaning turnout was 7.95% of the residents across 41 precincts.

As it stands, all four measures have passed by significant margins.

Here is a breakdown of the proposals and the unofficial result is tallied and posted to the MSB elections web page.

Proposal 1- Reapportionment Plan: After each federal census and adoption of a redistricting plan for the State legislature, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Assembly is required to propose to the voters a form of representation for the Assembly and the plan of apportionment for Assembly Districts. The Assembly proposes that the Assembly be composed of 7 members, each of whom shall be elected from an election district by the voters of the district.

The current tally is 5797 votes in favor of the measure, with 1313 votes against it.

Proposition 2- Lifetime Term Limits for Borough Mayor: This proposal looked to change the Borough code, which limits a person serving as mayor to no more than 2 consecutive full terms, but does not restrict the total number of terms a person can serve in their lifetime. This proposal adopts lifetime term limits for the office of Borough Mayor and limits a person to serving 2 terms for life and would apply to all current and former Mayors except that the current Mayor would be allowed to seek one additional term.

Currently, the measure is passing with 4961 votes in favor of it and 2222 against it.

Proposition 3- Lifetime Term Limits for Borough Assembly: Similar to Proposition 2, this proposal also seeks to have lifetime term limits for the office of Borough Assembly and limits a person to serving 2 terms for life. Service for more than one-half of a term is considered a full term. The ordinance applies to all current and former Assemblymembers except that all current Assemblymembers would be allowed to seek one additional term.

This measure is also passing with 4948 votes in favor and 2215 opposed to it.

Proposition 4- Increasing the Mat-Su Borough’s Senior/Disabled Veteran Residential Owner Occupied Property Tax Exemption from $68,000 to $114,000 for a Total Exemption Of $264,000: Currently, the Borough has an optional real property tax exemption of $68,000 of assessed value, in addition to the State required exemption of $150,000 of assessed value a permanent place of abode of a resident who is (1) 65 years of age or older, (2) a disabled veteran, including a person who was disabled in the line of duty while serving in the Alaska Territorial Guard, or (3) at least 60 years old and a widow or widower of a person who qualified for an exemption.

This exemption applies in addition to any other exemption applicable to the property. Currently, the total of the exemptions is $218,000. The Borough proposes to increase the optional exemption from $68,000 to $114,000 for a total exemption of $264,000. It would also allow that the optional portion of the exemption will be adjusted annually based upon the percentage change in the federal Housing Price Index.

Votes are overwhelmingly in favor of this measure, with 6406 votes in favor and 792 opposed.

Preliminary ballot results have been updated and posted to the Matanuska Susitna Borough web page. The Canvass Board will begin meeting Wednesday to review the election and to start canvassing the absentee and question ballots. Final counting of the ballots will convene once the board is done canvassing, with results remaining unofficial until the Assembly certifies the election on July 26.

For more information and updated results for the July special election, visit matsugov.us