Alaska Elections

The number of early voters for tomorrow’s municipal election is high.  City Clerk Laurie Sica said it surpassed last year’s several days ago.

Elections officials had already reviewed 660 absentee and early ballots by Thursday, and more were cast over the weekend.

Sica said early and absentee voting is often considered a predictor of voter turnout, which can vary greatly in Juneau from one year to the next.

“It ranges probably between 25 percent and 45 percent. Definitely depends on the issues on the ballot, and the types of races on the ballot, like if there is a highly contested assembly or mayor race.  And just the whole hype about elections nationally probably has people thinking about elections,” Sica said. 

Cheryl Jebe and Merrill Sanford are running for Mayor.

Loren Jones and Paul Nowlin are competing for the Assembly District One seat, being vacated by David Stone, who has served three terms.

Jerry Nankervis and write-in candidate Dixie Hood are running for Assembly District Two seat, currently held by Ruth Danner, who decided not to seek re-election.

While Assembly candidates represent districts within the city and borough, they are elected borough-wide.

Two propositions are also on the ballot. One would extend the 1 percent temporary sales tax for five years to pay for various capital improvement projects.  The other would bond for a variety of projects.

Polls are open tomorrow from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.  City Clerk Laurie Sica said Election Central will be in City Hall Assembly Chambers, beginning at 8 p.m. tomorrow, when the polls close.  The first results will come in just a few minutes later, but will not be posted on the city website until all results are in.

She says the deadline for by-mail absentees is October 9, the same day the election will be certified.

KTOO News will bring you live results from Election Central tomorrow.

Click here to see a sample ballot and the information pamphlet.

Candidates for the Juneau School District Board of Education recently fielded questions on the major issues.

Incumbent Phyllis Carlson, Michelle Johnston, Will Muldoon, Destiny Sargent, and incumbent Andi Story, are running for three open seats that each have three-year terms.

The following audio files include relevant excerpts of forums organized by the League of Women Voters on September 19th and the Juneau Chamber of Commerce on September 20th. During both forums, candidates addressed a variety of issues such as the pupil-to-teacher ratio, busing, delayed start time, and nurses in the schools.

iFriendly Audio of LWV forum moderated by Barbara Belknap.

iFriendly Audio of Chamber forum moderated by Lance Stephens.

Candidate Will Muldoon did not participate in both forums and candidate Destiny Sargent did not participate in the Chamber forum.

The municipal election is October 2nd.

Long-time political activist Dixie Hood will run as a write-in candidate for the District Two Assembly seat.

Hood filed her paperwork Thursday just before the deadline.

She says she’s been asked by others to run, and since candidate Jerry Nankervis was unopposed, she believes voters should have a choice.

But she has only four days to campaign before Tuesday’s election, and as a write-in candidate, her name will not be on the ballot.

“Because of my time in Juneau since 1975 and involvement in a lot of community issues I thought that my experience and name recognition might help me and be an advantage, and it was worth a try,” she says.

Hood says she will vote for the two ballot measures – one to extend the temporary 1 percent sales tax over five years, the other to sell bonds to pay for various capital improvement projects. She bases her decision on a conversation with CBJ Treasurer Bob Bartholomew.

Hood was in Juneau during the years that Echo Bay Mines was looking at redeveloping the AJ Mine near downtown and recalls the controversy it created. The Assembly may again consider reopening the city asset.

Hood has run unsuccessfully for Juneau Assembly twice. Over the years she has served on various CBJ boards, and is currently on the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee. She’s also worked on the waterfront development plan, Collaboration Juneau, and transportation issues.

Should the AJ Mine be reopened? CBJ Mayor and Assembly candidates have faced that hot-button issue since the city formed a task force last year to study the question: Under what circumstances, if any, should the CBJ pursue development of the AJ Mine?

A city-appointed AJ Mine Advisory Task Force looked at numerous issues surrounding the mine. Its report has been before the Assembly since May 2011.

The City and Borough of Juneau owns two-thirds of the former AJ mining property and Alaska Electric Light and Power owns the rest. It has not been mined since the 1940s.

At recent League of Women Voters and Juneau Chamber of Commerce forums, the candidates agreed the Assembly should look at the feasibility of re-opening the old mine, because it’s a city asset.

Jerry Nankervis is running unopposed for the Assembly District Two seat.

Paul Nowlin and Loren Jones are running for Assembly District One.

Nowlin said he definitely leans toward opening the AJ. This is Loren Jones’ second run for the Assembly. In the 2011 campaign he said Juneau needs a new water supply before even considering a mine, since the ore body is in Last Chance Basin – the main source of Juneau’s water.

This year, the city has been working on a water supply plan. Now that it’s underway, Jones said, the Assembly should look at other issues surrounding the mine near downtown.

The question posed to the candidates at Thursday’s Chamber of Commerce election forum was slightly different: Should the AJ Mine Advisory Committee continue its work?

Mayoral candidate Cheryl Jebe said the committee should study more issues surrounding a mine re-opening.

Mayoral candidate Merrill Sanford, a three-term veteran of the Juneau Assembly, has long been a proponent of the mine, as long as the water supply is protected.

The AJ Mine closed in 1944. In 1983, a mining venture company brought in Barig Resources, which later signed over the lease to Echo Bay Mines. Echo Bay dropped its attempt to open the AJ in 1997. Echo Bay’s efforts to redevelop the mine proved to be very controversial among Juneau residents.

Two measures to fund numerous capital improvement projects in Juneau will come before voters next week.

One calls for extending the city’s temporary 1-percent sales tax for five years to pay for more than $34 million in capital improvement projects. The other would issue bonds to cover nearly $25 million in projects, including maintenance of various city facilities.

And where do the candidates for mayor stand on the proposals? That was one of the first questions at yesterday’s Juneau Chamber of Commerce Election Forum.

The chamber is recommending a no vote on the ballot measures.

Former Assembly member Merrill Sanford said he would have voted against the proposals when the current Assembly put them together. He said there is still time to consider the projects because the temporary 1 percent sales tax does not expire until next year.

Though Sanford’s opponent, Cheryl Jebe, said she doesn’t like the way the current Assembly has packaged the projects, she will vote for both the sales tax and bond measures.

Projects bundled under the 1 percent sale tax include major maintenance and improvements to harbors; CBJ recreational facilities, parks and trails; and Capital Transit. Also, partial funding for snow removal equipment facility at the Juneau International Airport, a Mendenhall Valley library, a mental health facility for children at Bartlett Regional Hospital, and a Sealaska Heritage Institute cultural education facility, among other things.

The bond proposition includes improvements at the airport terminal, Aurora Harbor, Eaglecrest and Centennial Hall, as well as parks and recreation facilities.

The Assembly candidates also spoke on the sales tax and bond propositions at the chamber and a recent League of Women Voters Forum.

Three candidates are running for two seats on the Juneau Assembly in next week’s municipal election.

Loren Jones and Paul Nowlin are competing for the District One seat, currently held by David Stone, who has reached his term limit and cannot run for re-election.

Jerry Nankervis is the only candidate for the District Two seat being vacated by Ruth Danner, who has decided not to run again.

This is Loren Jones’ second try for the Assembly. Last year he lost to Carlton Smith by 73 votes.

Jones retired from the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services in 2003, after 30 years. He has served on the board of the city-owned Bartlett Regional Hospital, as well as other boards, which he says have taught him the value of listening, asking good questions and working together.

Paul Nowlin is an office manager at Petro Marine. He says he’s running for the Assembly because he wants to give back to the community.

Jerry Nankervis retired last year from the Juneau Police Department, where he reached the rank of captain. He says his 24 years at JPD are equivalent to 24 years of community service.

The candidates participated in the recent League of Women Voters Forum, where they were asked how they will vote on the upcoming sales tax and bond measures.

One measure calls for an extension of the city’s temporary 1 percent sales tax for five years to pay for more than $34 million in capital improvement projects. The other measure is nearly $25 million in bond sales for a list of additional projects, including deferred maintenance of various city facilities.

The Juneau Chamber of Commerce is recommending a no vote.

While Jones said he supports and will vote for the measures, he understands the chamber’s concern about paying for deferred maintenance in bond issues.

Nowlin said he plans to vote no on the sales and bond packages.

Nankervis said he still isn’t sure how he would vote, but he also understands people’s concern over the maintenance bonds.

The municipal election is Tuesday, Oct. 2.