Council holds off on vote to change election ordinance

By Diana Haecker
In Monday’s regular Nome Common Council meeting the Council passed in second reading an ordinance to adopt changes to the Alaska Remote Sellers Sales Tax Code. The City is part of the Alaska Intergovernmental Remote Sellers Sales Tax commission that put in code – Alaska wide – a mechanism for participating municipalities to charge sales taxes for remote sellers, such as Amazon or other online retailers. The commission in their last meeting in February changed some language concerning definitions and the city has to adopt the new version of the Uniform Remote Sellers Sales Tax code. This action item did not generate any discussion or debate and passed unanimously.
An ordinance that proposed to elect City Council, School Board and Nome Joint Utility members as members at-large didn’t advance through the second reading. Instead, Councilman Jerald Brown made a motion to postpone the vote. The motion passed unanimously and the vote was kicked down the road to be taken up at a later time. The election ordinance aims to “increase the number of Nome residents who seek to hold public office” by changing the current system of designated seats to an at-large system. The rationale was to do away with potential competition arising when two persons run for the same seat. However, arguments against the change of the election code were brought forward during the public comment period. Scot Henderson stepped to the podium and addressed the council members saying that he agrees that there is a reluctance among Nome residents to run for public office, but he said, “I’m not convinced that the problem is candidates running for a specific seat or that it will be improved by implementing an even more somewhat anonymous process by lumping all candidates together for multiple seats, so candidates don’t have to run against each other.”
Henderson argued that the public’s reluctance to vote may lie in a disconnect between voters and candidates. “If voters do not see a good reason to vote, or they feel they won’t have a representative who they know personally and trust to speak up for their concerns, they simply don’t vote,” he said. “This proposed change is going to make the voting process even more distant than it is now and I don’t believe it will strengthen the connection between voters and candidates.”
Henderson submitted that changing election laws should be a very careful and deliberate process and should not be rushed. He urged the Council to not pass the ordinance but instead pass a resolution calling for a special city referendum and to let the voters decide. He also called for putting several options on the ballot. One alternative he offered is to consider a district voting process. “Instead of all voters having to select among six council members they may not know to bring their concerns to, voters would likely get more personal attention from their representatives that live in the same neighborhood as they do.”
Jerald Brown made the motion to postpone the vote of the ordinance for a time when the entire six-member panel would be able to vote. Councilmembers Doug Johnson and Jennifer Reader were absent.
An ordinance that seeks to change the time for filing for candidacy passed in second reading. The ordinance changes the filing times to extend the time between filing and elections to four weeks. The purpose was to allow for more time to get ballots printed, to avoid hasty printing, programming and testing of ballots and ballot counting machines. Candidates can now file between 60 and 35 days prior to the municipal election.
The Council passed a resolution proclaiming May 5 as a day of awareness for missing and murdered indigenous women and girls. The resolution was presented by Council member Meghan Sigvanna Topkok and Youth Representative Zoe Okleasik. Jerald Brown offered Zoe an “honorary” second to the motion to adopt the resolution. The resolution recognized 23 people by name who have gone missing or were murdered in Nome. It states the grim statistics of Native women suffering disproportionately from high rates of violence, sexual assault and abuse. The document resolves that the Nome Common Council proclaims May 5 as Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and to encourage businesses, organizations and public institutions to observe the day and learn about the “acute crisis facing Indigenous Peoples and to especially lift up and support Indigenous women and girls in our community.” It further resolves that “the City and its departments will work to make sustainable investments in creating culturally appropriate approaches that hold the City accountable and will work in cooperation with Alaska Native communities to build trust and engagement for stronger government-to-government relationships.”
In other business, the Council heard both during the preceding work session on the fiscal year 2022 budget and during a public comment period in the regular meeting from Iditarod Trail Committee Special Projects Consultant Chas St. George the request for $100,000 and enhanced cooperation in preparation for the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog race in March 2022. St. George said the funding request has nothing to do with a sponsorship. “The Iditarod is seeking $100,000 from the City of Nome to offset projected hard costs for staging the 2022 finish in Nome, with the assurance that we not only enhance the overall economic and social wellbeing of the people of Nome, but also grow awareness of what Nome has to offer,” the letter to the Council reads. St. George said the Iditarod would promote Nome through its channels and advertise it as a tourism destination not just for March but year-round. St. George said that for the running next year, due to the golden anniversary, they project 40 percent more Iditarod-related tourists to come to Nome. The Iditarod submitted a two-page letter with the request but no itemized budget how the money would be spent.
Nome City Manager Glenn Steckman told the Nugget that the City’s sales tax revenue in March, stemming from the economic boost provided by the Iditarod is about $50,000. He said he built into the budget proposal that is before the Council right now a $25,000 contribution for the 50th running of the Iditarod. It is yet to be figured out where the additional $75,000 would come from. Speaking in support of the request and collaboration was Howard Farley, who was instrumental in the first running of the race and one of the first mushers to participate, and this year’s runner-up finisher Aaron Burmeister.  
In other business, Councilman Mark Johnson requested from the City Clerk a draft of an ordinance for a sales tax holiday to decrease the 7 percent summer sales tax in the months from May to October, to 5 percent. The ordinance will have to go through first and second reading and then needs to be adopted by the Alaska Remote Sellers Sales Tax Commission – assuming it passes – won’t be on the books and effective until July 1.
Council member Topkok announced a listening session on Friday, April 30 at Old St. Joe’s for tribal citizens to discuss challenges and solutions regarding Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. This event is a collaboration between the U.S. Department of Justice and Kawerak.
City Manager Steckman in his report said that Mayor John Handeland last week hosted a meeting with several organizations to discuss mental health, alcoholism, homelessness and sexual abuse. He said another meeting is scheduled for June to devise plans on how the community can better work together to combat these issues. He also recognized KNOM reporter Emily Hofstaedter in the audience, who will leave the radio station and pursue a career elsewhere.
Mayor Handeland said in his report that the Lt. Governor Kevin Meyer is coming to Nome on Friday to talk about tourism related issues. He also said two members of the community had filled out their paperwork to serve on the Nome Public Safety Advisory Commission, background checks will be conducted and by the next meeting, he would make the appointments.
The Council then went into executive session on financial matters but emerged without taking any action.