By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
With a 202-vote margin over the next highest vote getter in the race, Dave Miller is an apparent winner of an Assembly seat following the Tuesday night count of the city election ballots cast earlier in the day.
With 680 votes, Miller led incumbent Kevin Mosher, with 478, and Rachel Moreno, with 446, in the three-way race for two seats on the Assembly.
On an advisory question, voters approved a plan to sell the old Sitka Community Hospital property to SEARHC, with 574 in favor and 300 opposed.
Up to 807 absentee ballots will be counted starting at noon Friday.
Miller was pleased with the election night results.
“I think they’re excited for change,” he said after the totals were posted at Centennial Hall. “I think people know who I am – after 25 years of work for the city – and I think that’s a big plus.”
Dave Miller sits with his wife, Denise Blankenship, and their dog, Chena, Tuesday night as they wait for election results to be posted at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Miller holds a sizable lead over the two other Assembly candidates running for two open seats. Kevin Mosher and Rachel Moreno are running neck and neck in the race that will be determined by early and absentee ballots. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
Amy Morrison, the incumbent, and Todd Gebler ran unopposed for School Board, receiving 710 and 636 votes, respectively.
Polls closed at 8 p.m. in the two precincts at Centennial Hall. Ballots were counted within an hour, with only a handful of onlookers gathered in the auditorium as results were posted.
Voter turnout was the lowest in recent years, with 1,696 Sitkans casting ballots in advance and in person on election day. The city clerk’s office said some mail-in ballots postmarked by election day may still come in, and some of the questioned ballots may be counted.
City Clerk Sara Peterson said last year’s turnout was 3,312.
The 1,696 figure breaks down as:
– 907 casting ballots in person on election day at Centennial Hall.
– 663 voting absentee advance in person at Centennial Hall.
– 105 mail-in absentee received.
– 21 absentee voting by personal representative.
In addition, there are 9 questioned ballots, and 15 outstanding ballots that may be counted if postmarked by Oct. 5.
Results will be unofficial until they’re certified at the Oct. 12 Assembly meeting.
The absentee count generally follow the trends of election day.
Miller, retired fire chief, attributed his solid margin over the other candidates to the fact that he’s a familiar face around town.
“People know me ... I’m just a guy that likes to help people out and make things the best I can,” he said. “That’s who I am.”
Advanced/Absentee Ballot Record – 807 ballots were issued (663 in person, 120 by mail/FAX, 21 personal rep). Of those, 789 ballots were received. There are 15 ballots still out, and 3 question ballots. These ballots will be counted beginning at noon on Friday, Oct. 8, in the auditorium at Harrigan Centennial Hall, 330 Harbor Drive.
A graphic provided by the City shows the unofficial results of Tuesday’s election. (Graphic provided)
As for the direction the city is going, Miller said, “I think we’re moving ahead. It’s going to be interesting to see where we go next year with the cruise ships with a lot of people in town. I think that’s going to be a challenge, we’re just going to be busy. That’s a big thing we really have to work on.”
Miller said he believes John Leach is doing a good job as city administrator.
Moreno also watched the returns on Tuesday. She said she was pleased she did so well “for a first-time showing” and looks forward to seeing the final results Friday. Moreno served on the Sitka Tribe of Alaska tribal council.
“I think it’s too close to call but I’m really happy with the efforts that were put forward by my team,” she said. “I had a wonderful young team of people here who inspired me and encouraged me to put my name in and they stuck with me every step of the way. So I’m proud no matter what the outcome is.”
She added: “We have to support whatever the outcome is, whatever the vote is, it’s the wish of the people. I’m hoping with the absentee ballots that there might be more coming my way, but we’ll see.”
Mosher, who’s winding up his first three-year term on the Assembly, holds a 32-vote lead over Moreno, but said it’s too close to say who will get the second seat open.
“I’m not calling it at all,” he said. “With 800 votes to count it’s too soon to say – I’ll wait till Friday.”
He said he believes voters appreciated his attention to detail and his focus on the finances of the city.
Leach said the outcome of the advisory question wasn’t surprising, but the margin was wider than he expected.
“The initial survey results we got and the comments from the town hall made me think we were going to see more of a 50-50 split,” he said. “And there’s more votes to be counted on Friday, but I did expect it to be a closer margin.”
The advisory question, which is nonbinding, asked voters whether they favor selling the old hospital buildings and four properties surrounding it.
The Assembly approved a sales ordinance on first reading Aug. 24, authorizing selling the properties to SEARHC at the appraised $8.25 million. Second reading was set for Oct. 12, after the results of the advisory questions are known.
Mosher, who voted in favor of the sale ordinance on first reading, said the advisory vote generally went the way he expected. A majority on the Assembly said before the election that they would consider the will of voters when they vote on the sale ordinance on final reading.
Since the trends are generally that absentees follow the ballots cast on election day, it appears unlikely that the 807 absentee and questioned ballots will change the nearly two-to-one vote of approval in the election day count.
Leach said he’ll wait for the final vote by the Assembly before taking any steps on the sale.
“We’ll see what the outcome of the vote is and proceed accordingly,” he said today. “Then we’ll talk sales terms and a process.”
Proceeds from sales of city property, minus the expenses of the sale, go into the city Permanent Fund. An annual allocation of the earnings from the fund investments go into the general fund.
The advisory question asked: “Should the City and Borough of Sitka sell the two buildings and surrounding four lots at 209 Moller Drive, 202 Brady Street, 204 Brady Street and 302 Gavan Street, Sitka, Alaska, formerly the site of Sitka Community Hospital, as contemplated by the ordinance authorizing the sale previously passed on first reading by the Assembly? Yes or No.”
In its response to the request for proposals, SEARHC said it plans upgrades to the old hospital building and to use it for long-term care, rehabilitation and other healthcare services. The health consortium is also planning to remove the Mountainside building, upgrade parking and build a 28-unit apartment building. The improvements are estimated at $38 million, including the property purchase.
