Election is Oct. 4 on Pot and Pools

Voters in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough will be deciding whether to prohibit the commercialization of marijuana outside the cities, an initiative put on the ballot by citizens. Voters also will consider whether to approve repairs and upgrades to two old pools and other recreation infrastructure. A 5 percent sales tax for the retail sales of marijuana is also on the ballot with a sales tax exemption for cities of up to three percent.

Also, the Assembly Seat for District 1 (Butte, Lazy Mountain, & more) has two candidates vying for it, incumbent Jim Sykes and former Planning Commissioner Brian Endle. The School Board Seat for District 2 has School Board Chair Susan Pougher and School Board Member Ray Michaelson running.

Borough Deputy Mayor Matthew Beck is not challenged in his race for Assembly District 2, Greater Palmer and more. School Board Member Donna Dearman also has no opponent for District 7, Talkeetna. Yvonne Ruth, of Big Lake, is running unopposed for the School District 5 seat. A citizens initiative that passed last year required school board members to reside in assembly district boundaries. This is the first election that enacts this voter-adopted initiative. 

There's also two propositions for some Lazy Mountain Road Service Area voters on whether to annex a parcel into the Lazy Mountain Road Service Area, number 19.

The elections page on the Borough website posts important election information.

Hear from the candidates and read the propositions on commercial marijuana and parks and recreation bonds, right here in the 2016 election brochure. 

Here's a quick link to the ballot propositions or on where to vote.

http://www.matsugov.us/elections

Here's a quick look at the candidate list. 

You can vote absentee. Here's how: