Here Are Your Candidates in City Election

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Category: News

Created on Monday, 30 September 2024 15:59

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By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
    Polls will be open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Harrigan Centennial Hall for Sitkans to cast ballots for mayor, Assembly and School Board, and vote on two housekeeping changes to the Sitka Home Rule Charter.
    Voters in Precinct 1 will cast ballots in Rooms 5 and 6; and Precinct 2 in Rooms 1, 2 and 3.

Leah Mason

Steven Eisenbeisz

Amanda Williams

Austin Cranford

Kevin Mosher

Robert Hattle

Scott Saline

    Early voting for the October 1 municipal election started September 16, and as of Saturday 570 voters had cast ballots at the Centennial Hall site, City Clerk Sara Peterson said. The clerk’s office has sent out 82 absentee ballots, which must be postmarked by Oct. 1 when returned with a marked ballot, Peterson said.
    In the race for mayor, Steven Eisenbeisz is running for reelection against challenger Leah Mason. Eisenbeisz is seeking his third term as mayor and Mason is making her first run for municipal office here.
    Four candidates are vying for the two open seats on the Assembly. Candidates are Kevin Mosher, Scott Saline, Austin Cranford and Robert Hattle. Mosher has served six years (two terms), and Saline was elected last year to serve the third year of a vacated seat. Cranford and Hattle are seeking their first elective position here, although Cranford has run once before.
    Amanda Williams is the sole candidate for School Board, which has two three-year terms open. After the election the four members of the School Board will make an appointment to serve on the board until the next municipal election, when the two years remaining on this term will be on the ballot.
    All open positions are for three-year terms except for the mayor’s, which has a two-year term.  
    The two charter amendment issues on the ballot are changes that bring the document up to date. Proposition No. 1 removes the reference to Sitka Community Hospital in the charter because the hospital closed on August 1, 2019. Proposition No. 2 amends the procedure for recall of elected municipal officials to meet the requirement that municipal recall procedures “may not be contrary” to those for recall of state officials.
    Unofficial results from the election, including in-person early voting, will be available after the polls close. Ballots arriving by mail that are postmarked by election day, and absentee ballots cast by fax, personal representative, and email will be counted 2 p.m. Friday. Questioned ballots will be counted at that time also, the city clerk said.