Wasilla says no to Kohring, library too close to call

WASILLA — Seven consecutive times, Mat-Su voters elected Vic Kohring to the state House of Representatives. On Tuesday, however, the former state House rep ran into a wall in his bid to revive his political career as a Wasilla City Council member.

Kohring, who resigned for the House in 2007 and subsequently was convicted, incarcerated, retried and accepted a plea to taking money from former VECO executives, could only muster less than 32 percent of the vote against incumbent Seat F councilman Brandon Wall.

“I think we did really get the word out that I was looking for a second term, not a second chance,” said Wall, who was appointed to fill the seat after the recall of former councilman Steve Menard. “I’ve done a good job on the council for the last year and a half. I don’t think this was a vote against Vic Kohring, it’s a vote that says we’ve go someone on the council who’s a conservative and making sure the city’s being run efficiently.”

In hindsight, Kohring said he has not regrets following the first defeat in his political career. Kohring also said this election was different in that he felt he was campaigning as much against his past as another opponent.

“Obviously, my background is far different than it was 20 years ago,” he said. “I was prepared to lose this race and am in a good frame of mind. After all those things I’ve been through — ending up going to prison — and to still be accepted by all those people who did vote for me, I’m pleased with the level of support I did have.”

Wall said his re-election is a good indication that Wasilla voters are pleased with his service.

“Nobody wants to win an election because they’re the lesser of two evils,” he said. “They want to win because you work hard and want to do good things for the city.”

Wasilla City Council will also welcome two new faces when they're sworn in Oct. 14 in Gretchen O'Barr, who ran unopposed for Seat E and got 605 votes, and one of three candidates for Seat A. As of Tuesday evening, David Wilson with 275 votes has a narrow lead over Glenda Ledford (233) and Holly Herrick (180), according to the unofficial results.

There are still 178 absentee, early and questioned ballots that need to be counted, which will happen Friday when the city's canvassing board meets.

New chapter for library?

One of the most visible issues on a ballot in the Mat-Su Borough in this municipal election was a measure that would increase the city of Wasilla's sales tax rate by half, from 2 percent to 3 percent, to pay for the construction of a new Wasilla Public Library. That measure holds a narrow lead after counting Tuesday's ballots.

In the end, 52.1 percent of city voters (441) said yes to the tax increase while 47.9 percent, or 406 voters, said no. That's a precarious lead with those 178 absentee and questioned ballots still to be counted, said Jeanne Troshynski, president of Friends of Wasilla Public Library, which has been working for about 20 years to build a new city library.

"We're sort-of happy." Troshynski said about Tuesday's unofficial results. "But we're also nervous for Friday. We'll have to wait to see if we're really going to be there in the end. But we're ahead right now, so that's a good thing."

If Tuesday's result holds, that means the city will bump its sales tax rate by 1 percent until the $15 million needed to complete the project has been raised or three years, whichever comes first. Although Wasilla can conceivably raise the full amount for the library through the tax, the city is hopeful to secure $8 million in state funding, which would sunset the tax earlier.

The library project has also enjoyed support from Wasilla City Council, and while he’s pleased to see the ballot question is ahead in the voting, Seat F council member Brandon Wall said he’d prefer to see more decisive support.

“I wish it was a bigger spread,” he said. “I hate having a sales tax increase that wins by 17 votes for 50 votes or whatever. I was hoping for more from the library supporters. A lot of members of the council put ourselves out there for the library. This isn’t a tax-friendly town, so just putting a tax increase on the ballot is a risky proposition. I hope it passes, though. I think we’re in good shape with it (going into Friday’s final count).”

A Mat-Su Borough question on the ballot asking to implement a 5 percent tax on the sale of alcohol probably hurt the library effort some, Troshynski said. She said she believes that measure brought out some anti-tax voters who vote no on any tax proposal on principle.

"I think there's something to that," she said. "We are a little worried because of the alcohol tax thing on the borough ballot."

Because the results are so close, Friends of Wasilla Public Library aren't celebrating yet, Troshynski said. A win after Friday's count "would be phenomenal," she said. "That's 12 years I've been working on this, and others have worked a lot of years more than that. It really would mean a lot."

With the champagne remaining on ice Tuesday evening, how would Troshynski react to an official yes?

"I'm going to wear my dancing shoes on Friday and hope to put them to use then. That's the plan," she said. "We are very optimistic."

Turnout not so terrific

Although the library tax was one of the most talked-about issues leading up to the elections, Tuesday's turnout was the lowest for an odd-year Wasilla municipal election in the past 13 years. The city clerk's office reports that, including early and absentee voting, 1,043 of the city's 5,179 registered voters voted, a turnout of 20.1 percent.

That’s a little below the 20.5 percent who voted in the 2009 municipal election, according to city election records. During that period, the 2005 election had the highest turnout of any election — odd year or even — at 27.4 percent.

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

Participation in Wasilla city elections has remained fairly consistent since 2000, with a low point in 2012 at 16.2 percent turnout to a high of 27.4 percent in 2005.

Year Turnout

2013 20.1 percent

2012 16.2 percent

2011 23 percent

2010 18.1 percent

2009 20.5 percent

2008 21.5 percent

2007 23.5 percent

2006 22.5 percent

2005 27.4 percent

2004 22.8 percent

2003 23.3 percent

2002 23.7 percent

2001 17.2 percent

2000 19.6 percent

Source: City of Wasilla