Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion In this March 19, 2013 file photo Soldotna mayor Nels Anderson speaks to a crowd during a candidate forum hosted by the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce. Anderson is resigning his post as Soldotna mayor and asking to be reappointed until October.

Photo by Rashah McChesney/Peninsula Clarion In this March 19, 2013 file photo Soldotna mayor Nels Anderson speaks to a crowd during a candidate forum hosted by the Soldotna Chamber of Commerce. Anderson is resigning his post as Soldotna mayor and asking to be reappointed until October.

Soldotna mayor steps down, asks for reappointment

  • By Rashah McChesney
  • Wednesday, July 1, 2015 10:29pm
  • News

Before he travels to west Africa in 2016, Soldotna Mayor Nels Anderson would like to save the city the cost of having a special election.

That proposition proved trickier in practice then it was in theory, but Anderson and city administration believe they have come up with a way to make it happen.

The Soldotna City Clerk’s office on Wednesday announced that Anderson had submitted a letter of resignation and was requesting reappointment to continue serving in the position until the next regular election in October.

The mayor’s current three-year term is up in October 2017.

“We’ve been trying for a long time to figure out how to avoid a special election,” Anderson said.

Currently, he and his wife are scheduled to leave the country on a mission trip for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in January. However, if Anderson were to serve until he is set to leave, the city would have to hold a special election to replace him. Alaska statute does not permit the mayor to resign at a designated time, however the city attorney opined that Anderson could legally resign and be reappointed until October.

Anderson expects to be gone for between 18-23 months and said members of the current city council are interested in the upcoming mayoral vacancy.

The Soldotna City Council will consider the mayor’s resignation request during its July 8 meeting.

Reach Rashah McChesney at rashah.mcchesney@peninsulaclarion.com or follow her on Twitter @litmuslens

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