Voters at polls keep manager form of governme

MAT-SU— Tonight at the polls, MAT-SU voters did not support repealing the manager form of government, did support school renovation bonds, and supported three challengers over incumbents, two of them for school board, and one for Assembly. However, more votes remain to be counted such as absentee, questioned, and special needs ballots, beginning as early as tomorrow, up to 2,088 votes.

Of chief interest tonight was whether voters would go for changing their form of government from one run by a manager to one run by a mayor. Presently the mayor is more ceremonial and holds another job outside Borough government. For Proposition 1, the No votes led by 608 votes at the polls.

Two Borough Assembly seats are open. In District 1, Deputy Mayor Lynne Woods met a term limit and did not run for the seat, which includes the Butte and Sutton areas.  Warren Keogh leads with 176 votes over George Rauscher

In District 2, the Palmer area, challenger Noel Woods leads with 362 votes over Incumbent Assembly Member Pete Houston.

Proposition 2 is for $32 million in road bonds for 13 local road projects from Talkeetna to Palmer. Prop. 2 is failing tonight by 259 votes.

Proposition 3, school renovation and renewal projects for $33.9 million in bonds is passing tonight. Yes votes lead by 506 votes tonight. The district expects a percentage to be paid by the State or the bonds will not be issued.

Proposition 4 deals with school sports rinks, courts, tracks, and turfs for $9 million in general obligation bonds. The School District expects the State to pay a percentage of the cost. Prop. 4 is failing tonight by 1,482 votes.

Proposition 5 would exempt the Borough from recently-tightened financial disclosure rules from the Alaska Public Offices Commission. Voters said no tonight to Proposition 5 by 5,092 votes.

Three seats are open on the School Board.

Incumbent Susan Pougher ran unopposed for Seat C collecting 6,543 votes.

For School Board Seat F, Board President Colleen Vague is trailing challenger Neal Lacy by 1,005 votes.

In the Seat G race, challenger Lynn Gattis is outpacing Incumbent Myrl Thompson by 648 votes.

All 34 precincts reported before 9 p.m. Beginning tomorrow, up to 1,917 votes will be counted over the next several days. The election will be certified on Oct. 19 at 5 p.m. in Assembly Chambers.

Tonight 18.36 percent of MAT-SU voters turned out, less than the last election.  For a more specific look at precincts visit the borough web site's election results page.

Or call Borough Clerk Lonnie McKechnie at 745-9684 or Public Affairs Director Patty Sullivan at 745-9577, cell 355-0103.

Photos top: Borough Clerk Lonnie McKechnie writes in the tallies in the election viewing room at the Borough office building in Palmer. Photo 2: Election viewers watch the precincts come in by the numbers. Photo 3: Borough Attorney Nicholas Spiropoulos and daughter Ilse, 8, observe the election night. Photos by Patty Sullivan/MAT-SU Borough.