The Online Alaska
Pioneer Press
Pioneer Press
The home base for your Alaskan Adventure in the heart of Talkeetna. 907-733-8500 E-mail us here P.O Box 353, Talkeetna, AK 99676 |
| ADVERTISEMENTS |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Voters Say 'No New Taxes'
Halter Leads Doyle for Borough District 7
Assembly Seat
Official Borough spreadsheet of results - CLICK HERE
MAT-SU— Unofficial results are in from the 22 percent of registered Mat-Su voters who
made it to the polls Oct. 6. Voters kept current Mayor Talis Colberg, smashed a proposed 3
percent Borough sales tax and may have dumped two incumbent assemblymembers.
Proposition 1's sales tax, which was paired with a property tax rollback, was scuttled with
2,805 yes votes to 9,401 no votes. A proposed $31.7 million school bond issue for capital
improvement projects, Proposition 2, fell by a lesser margin: 6,297 voters said no, while
5,814 voters said yes.
Officials caution that results of some races could change as 1,423 absentee ballots are
tallied. Also, some more absentee ballots could could still be on the way -- Friday is the last
day the Borough can receive them. There were some 513 question ballots issued and 21
special needs ballots were also issued, according to Borough Spokesperson Patty Sullivan.
Colberg, Halter have wide margins
Incumbent Borough Mayor Talis Colberg kept his seat, beating challenger John Leiner's by
a wide margin.
“I'm happy to have the opportunity to serve a full term,” Mayor Talis Colberg said in a
Borough release, after looking at the unofficial numbers. “I appreciate the effort of my
campaign manager Larry Bottjen, especially in the last week.”
Colberg vehemently opposed the sales tax as a regressive tax that would hurt the poor and
give only temporary relief to property owners.
The race for a seat that represents Talkeetna, Willow and points all over the map was
between two Willow businessmen.
Assembly District 7 went to Planning Commissioner Vern Halter, who led in the unofficial
tally with 1,049 votes to former Assemblyman Doyle Holmes' 864 votes.
In Assembly District 3, which covers the Trunk Road, Fairview, Seward Meridian areas,
unofficial results show challenger Ron Arvin leading the race over Assemblymember
Michelle Church with 929 to 660 votes respectively. Church was a supporter of the sales
tax. Arvin is CEO of a wood-chipping firm that is currently suing the Borough.
In Assembly District 6, which includes Hatcher Pass, Assemblyman Rob Wells appears to
be out of the race barring divine statistical intervention. Wells, who faced some serious
health and some legal problems over the past few years, got just 258 votes against school
board member and former assemblyman Jim Colver's 849 votes. Former Assemblyman Jim
Turner was next up with 781 votes. It is statistically possible that the race could go to
Turner if absentees weigh heavily in his favor.
Wells was also an architect of the recent plan to save the Matanuska Valley's ailing dairy
business that led to establishment of a cooperative venture among dairy farmers known as
Matanuska Creamery.
School Board
For School Board Seat A, Michael Dunleavy led with 4,972 votes, followed by Adam Boyd
with 3,279 votes, Jamey Duhamel with 1,191 votes, and Neal Lacy with 1,092 votes.
For School Board Seat B, School Board Member Sarah Welton leads with 4,898 votes,
followed by former School District Superintendent Bob Doyle with 4,159 votes. Candidate
James Tapley got 1,423 votes.
For School Board Seat E, school board member Erick Cordero led with 3,952 votes; Dave
Anderton had 2,513 votes, and Julie Collins had 3,291.
The Borough's Canvass Board starts counting absentee votes on Oct. 7.
The resulkts could be certified by Oct. 20.
Youcan find the raw results on the Borough's Web site-- just click here to go to www.
matsugov.us
Halter Leads Doyle for Borough District 7
Assembly Seat
Official Borough spreadsheet of results - CLICK HERE
MAT-SU— Unofficial results are in from the 22 percent of registered Mat-Su voters who
made it to the polls Oct. 6. Voters kept current Mayor Talis Colberg, smashed a proposed 3
percent Borough sales tax and may have dumped two incumbent assemblymembers.
Proposition 1's sales tax, which was paired with a property tax rollback, was scuttled with
2,805 yes votes to 9,401 no votes. A proposed $31.7 million school bond issue for capital
improvement projects, Proposition 2, fell by a lesser margin: 6,297 voters said no, while
5,814 voters said yes.
Officials caution that results of some races could change as 1,423 absentee ballots are
tallied. Also, some more absentee ballots could could still be on the way -- Friday is the last
day the Borough can receive them. There were some 513 question ballots issued and 21
special needs ballots were also issued, according to Borough Spokesperson Patty Sullivan.
Colberg, Halter have wide margins
Incumbent Borough Mayor Talis Colberg kept his seat, beating challenger John Leiner's by
a wide margin.
“I'm happy to have the opportunity to serve a full term,” Mayor Talis Colberg said in a
Borough release, after looking at the unofficial numbers. “I appreciate the effort of my
campaign manager Larry Bottjen, especially in the last week.”
Colberg vehemently opposed the sales tax as a regressive tax that would hurt the poor and
give only temporary relief to property owners.
The race for a seat that represents Talkeetna, Willow and points all over the map was
between two Willow businessmen.
Assembly District 7 went to Planning Commissioner Vern Halter, who led in the unofficial
tally with 1,049 votes to former Assemblyman Doyle Holmes' 864 votes.
In Assembly District 3, which covers the Trunk Road, Fairview, Seward Meridian areas,
unofficial results show challenger Ron Arvin leading the race over Assemblymember
Michelle Church with 929 to 660 votes respectively. Church was a supporter of the sales
tax. Arvin is CEO of a wood-chipping firm that is currently suing the Borough.
In Assembly District 6, which includes Hatcher Pass, Assemblyman Rob Wells appears to
be out of the race barring divine statistical intervention. Wells, who faced some serious
health and some legal problems over the past few years, got just 258 votes against school
board member and former assemblyman Jim Colver's 849 votes. Former Assemblyman Jim
Turner was next up with 781 votes. It is statistically possible that the race could go to
Turner if absentees weigh heavily in his favor.
Wells was also an architect of the recent plan to save the Matanuska Valley's ailing dairy
business that led to establishment of a cooperative venture among dairy farmers known as
Matanuska Creamery.
School Board
For School Board Seat A, Michael Dunleavy led with 4,972 votes, followed by Adam Boyd
with 3,279 votes, Jamey Duhamel with 1,191 votes, and Neal Lacy with 1,092 votes.
For School Board Seat B, School Board Member Sarah Welton leads with 4,898 votes,
followed by former School District Superintendent Bob Doyle with 4,159 votes. Candidate
James Tapley got 1,423 votes.
For School Board Seat E, school board member Erick Cordero led with 3,952 votes; Dave
Anderton had 2,513 votes, and Julie Collins had 3,291.
The Borough's Canvass Board starts counting absentee votes on Oct. 7.
The resulkts could be certified by Oct. 20.
Youcan find the raw results on the Borough's Web site-- just click here to go to www.
matsugov.us
| Talkeetna Council Winners: 187 people voted in the October 6th, 2009 Talkeetna Community Council, Inc. election. Four candidates were nominated for three vacant seats. Meghaan Vaughn received 135 votes. Cary Birdsall and Howard Carbone each received 130 votes. Larry Dearman received 66 votes. The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Talkeetna Community Council is on Monday, November 2nd at 7pm at the Talkeetna Elementary School. From www.tkcouncil.org |
| POSTED: 11:10 p.m. Oct. 6, 2009 |