Wasilla council may face same choice to fill vacancy

By GREG JOHNSON

Frontiersman.com

WASILLA — With a March 29 deadline fast approaching, Wasilla City Council may have to reach a compromise to fill a vacancy on the council.

Seat F has been open since the council verified results of a Feb. 7 recall vote that ousted two-time councilman Steve Menard. The first attempt to seat an applicant on the council until the Oct. 2 municipal election met with an impasse, and the remaining council may be heading toward a second stalemate.

After three applicants — John Luberger, Glenda Ledford and Patrick Jonson — failed to get the necessary four votes from the remaining five council members on Feb. 27, the council reopened the application process hoping to draw more applications from residents.

“We’re at an impasse,” deputy mayor Doug Holler said after the council emerged from a lengthy executive session called to appoint a new council member. With that statement, he reopened the application process, which closes at noon, today.

But extending that deadline didn’t simplify the council’s decision, however. As of press time Thursday, the only people to apply during the extended search were the three original applicants.

By city code, the council must fill a vacancy within 45 days. Short of rewriting the code, there’s no wiggle room in the regulation. Because the group was at an impasse over these same candidates before, the City Clerk’s Office and city attorney Richard Payne have discussed other options, said Amanda Charles, the city’s deputy clerk.

In addition to considering the applicants, council also will be asked to adopt a point rating system whereby each council member grades their choices in order of preference, with higher choices earning more points. The aggregate scores could give the council a compromise candidate if it cannot select a replacement on its own, Charles said.

Having a “plan B” is a prudent move, said councilwoman Taffina Katkus, who added she wishes it had been in place for the original Feb. 27 vote. She said she also is hopeful more candidates will apply by today’s deadline.

“I’m hoping there will be more submissions and that we’ll have that secondary process,” she said. “If there’s an impasse, there should be a secondary way to make a decision. Do I think (a points system) is a fair way to make a compromise? We’ll see, but I do know we have a job to do and we need to get it done.”

She said the remaining five council members have an obligation to make a selection by the March 29 deadline, which could happen at Monday’s regular council meeting.

As for the trio of candidates who didn’t get a vote of confidence earlier, they say they’re still committed to serving on the council.

Johnson, a longtime Wasilla resident who ran in the city’s first council election in 1973, has served on various Mat-Su Borough boards and committees. He said he wasn’t surprised the council couldn’t come to a decision on Feb. 27 and he’s happy to reapply.

“It wasn’t surprising,” he said. “My thought was that it’s possibly partisan politics, which has no place in city government. It would seem among the three of us there’d be a compromise candidate.”

Ledford also said she isn’t deterred in her desire to serve.

“I think being able to serve the people of this city is a privilege, and I think I have the passion,” she said. “The saying is, ‘build it and they will come,’ well, with Wasilla, they came and now we have to build it. I want to be part of that process.”

While the council will be asked to consider an alternative points system to aid in selecting its new member, if the body still cannot reach a decision the only other option allowed by city code is a special election.

If a vacancy happens more than 180 calendar days from a regular election, the council can call for a special election to fill the unexpired term. In this case, there are 202 days from when Menard vacated is seat Feb. 13 until the Oct. 2 election.

Contact reporter Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.

• Wasilla City Council has 45 days to fill a vacancy on the council. The only exception is if the vacancy is less than 30 days from a regular municipal election.

• A two-thirds majority vote is needed to seat a person to fill a vacancy on the council, which is why a simply majority vote of 3-2 isn’t enough.

• Those appointed serve until the next regular election, at which time the remaining time on that seat’s term will go to voters.

• If a vacancy happens more than 180 days from a regular election, a special election can be held to fill that vacancy.

What: Wasilla City Council meeting

Why: Hear from and discuss applicants for vacant council seat

When: 6 p.m., Monday

Where: Wasilla City Hall