The Kodiak Island Borough Assembly is primed to select a new mayor next Thursday, May 4, after current Borough Mayor Aimee Williams steps into her new role as borough manager. Williams was selected after several months without consistent leadership from the position. The next mayor will serve until the next municipal election in October to fill the position in the interim.
The Assembly voted earlier this month to open applications for mayor to the public. The application period closed last Friday.
Three candidates are up for consideration; current assembly members, Scott Arndt and Joseph Delgado, and a former assembly member, Rebecca Skinner, filed applications for consideration.
Arndt said in his application that he wants to assist the borough’s long term projects and lower the borough’s mill rate, which are property tax calculations.
Delgado’s application lists his priorities as keeping a smooth transition of power during Williams’ transition to manager and to better reflect constituent diversity.
Skinner is the only applicant not currently serving on the Borough Assembly. Her application states that she’s passionate about serving the community. Skinner currently runs her own law firm and is the executive director for the Alaska Whitefish Trawlers Association.
If a member of the current Assembly is appointed to mayor, they will need to resign their seat in the Assembly. Since the next municipal election is more than three months away, the borough would need to solicit applications once again to fill that vacancy. Once the application period closes, sitting Assembly members would appoint a new peer to serve until the next election.
