By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
The city began advertising today for letters of interest from those interested in filling a vacancy on the Assembly for a period ending with next October’s election.
The Assembly is scheduled to make the appointment at its regular meeting October 25.
The vacancy was created Tuesday when the Assembly accepted member Dave Miller’s resignation due to health reasons. He was elected last year and had two years remaining in his term when he stepped down.
The appointment is open to any qualified voter who has been a Sitka resident for at least one year. Along with a letter of interest, applicants are asked to fill out a form attesting to their qualifications and submit a financial disclosure statement. Documents are due at the city clerk’s office by noon Monday, October 24.
The requirements are similar to those that candidates file in an election, but no petition with signatures is required.
The Assembly in the past has appointed the next-highest vote-getter in the most recent election, or asked for letters of interest from the public. Candidates who did not win in the last election are eligible to apply for the vacancy.
Thor Christianson, who was re-elected this year, related at the Assembly meeting Tuesday that in 2014 he lost his race for Assembly, but was the first runner-up in the election. Even so, he was not appointed to the Assembly when a vacancy later occurred.
He said he was on the list of those considered, but the Assembly chose Michelle Putz, who had been on the Assembly in the past.
Christianson said today he remembers he was not happy with the outcome at the time, and remembers that some of the Assembly’s reasoning was that Putz was a good fit for the position vacated by Phyllis Hackett.
“Since that time, I can see the validity of their reasoning,” Christianson said.
In this year’s election, Richard Wein was third in the race for two seats on the Assembly, and during the discussion on filling the vacancy he and several supporters spoke about why he would be a good choice for the appointment.
The Assembly decided to get applications from the public before making the appointment, and City Clerk Sara Peterson said the appointment had not been advertised for the meeting.
Wein said today he has been told he does not have to resubmit his financial statement and certificate of qualifications, but he is working on the letter of interest that he plans to turn in to the city clerk.
“I am currently preparing my letter of intent but I’m afraid no matter how well composed this letter is, and how qualified I am, based on last Tuesday’s meeting it will all be falling on deaf ears,” he said today.
Peterson said today only one person has inquired so far about applying.
The appointment will end in October 2023 when the remaining year in Miller’s term will be filled in the election.
For information on the appointment process, contact the city clerk’s office at 907-747-1811 or clerk@cityofsitka.org.
