The Haines Borough will appoint the assembly candidate who receives the third-highest vote count in Oct. 1 municipal elections to a third seat left vacant by Will Prisciandaro.
On Tuesday, the assembly officially accepted Prisciandaro’s resignation and declared his seat vacant after his move to Vermont last month.
They reached several stalemates on how to best appoint his seat within 30 days as required by borough code.
“The issue with this is the timing of the resignation and it bumping into the election,” assembly member Heather Lende said. “I assume initially that the third highest vote getter would be the fairest way to do it. But I don’t think so anymore because the filing period is already over and by doing this, we’d change the chemistry of the election. There may be more people that would have filed. We even had one candidate that removed her name that might have stayed. If the resignation had been earlier, before the filing period, the third highest vote getter would be fine, but because of the timeframe, I don’t think it is.”
Lende was referring to former candidate Diana Lapham who withdrew from the race last month.
Assembly members Sean Maidy and Stephanie Scott vehemently favored the third highest vote getter as what Maidy called “the most democratic way.”
“When an appointment is used so close to an election, that’s when we use the power of the people,” Scott said. “I’m so devoted to the community making this decision, not this (assembly.)”
Assembly member Morphet suggested making the decision after the election. “If we’re going to commit ourselves, let’s see who we’re committing to first,” Morphet said.
Maidy said doing so would deepen an already “long history with issues with trust” between the borough assembly and the public. “Saying, ‘yes, we’re going to give it to the third-place vote getter if I like the third-place vote getter’ is literally impropriety,” Maidy said.
After three failed attempts at a resolution, assembly members voted 4-1 in favor of appointing the third highest vote getter to the assembly, with Morphet opposed. The vote hinged on Lende, who originally voted against the ordinance, but moved to reconsider after it became apparent no progress would be made without compromise.
Any eligible resident who wishes to run for a seat on the assembly can file a write-in candidacy by Sept. 26 at 5 p.m.
Residents must submit a letter of intent with the borough clerk stating their full name, residency address, mailing address, office they are seeking, date of the election, their name as they want it to appear written on the ballot by voters, confirmation that they meet residency requirements, confirmation of voter qualification, and confirmation that the candidate is not running for another seat in the general election.
At the polls, voters who wish to vote for a write-in candidate must write that candidates name on one of two blank lines on the ballot, and fill in the corresponding bubble to vote for that person.
The third-highest vote getter will assume Prisciandaro’s seat for one year until the next general election, whereas the first two vote getters will each be elected to three-year terms.