Results from Kodiak’s Municipal Election are set and will soon be certified. That means that two new members of the Kodiak Island School Board are set to take their seats along with the top two vote getters in each race.
On Oct. 9 the Kodiak Island Borough’s canvass board tallied up the final votes for all borough candidates, including the two winners for school board.
Jesse Mickelson was the top vote getter, with 874 votes. Mike Litzow won the second school board seat with 735 votes, about 30 ahead of third place Beate Daly. Judy Carstens, the sole incumbent on the ballot, received 684 votes.
For the two seats on borough assembly, Harbormaster Dave Johnson received 837 votes and incumbent Scott Smiley finished in second just a couple votes behind him. The other incumbent James Turner got 731 while the fourth candidate Sandra Katelnikoff-Lester got 490.
The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly is expected to certify the election results at its next regular meeting on Oct. 17.
Roughly 17% of all registered voters, or 1,780 out of 10,216, in the borough participated in this year’s election. That’s about the same voter turnout as last year which was 18% and in 2022 it was 14%.
As for the City of Kodiak, city councilmembers Rich Walker and Terry Haines will retain their seats. Haines received the most votes of 366 while Walker received 355. That’s about 80 more than challenger Jay Celli’s 276 votes. Colleen Ford received 201.
This year’s election also featured a ballot proposition asking city voters to loosen the city manager’s residency requirements. 58% or 380 voters decided no; the manager must continue to live within city limits. 271 voters said yes on ballot proposition number 1.
The City Council is expected to certify the results tonight during its regular meeting on Oct. 10 and swear in Haines and Walker for another three-year term.
