Voters in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough on Tuesday overwhelmingly turned down a citizens’ ballot initiative banning the commercial growth and sale of cannabis in the Borough.
Unofficial election results show over 8,704 Borough voters voted against Proposition B-1, which would have banned retail marijuana businesses in areas outside of the Borough’s three cities. 7271 voters supported the ban.
Sarah Williams heads the Borough Assembly’s marijuana advisory committee.
“You know, it wasn’t even close,” Williams said. “We’re so excited that the voters of the Mat Su Borough voted for economic prosperity and really realizing that a regulated market is the best thing overall for jobs and economic development.”
Borough voters also approved a 5 % sales tax on marijuana products. A heavier than usual 23.6% turnout could have been attributed to the marijuana issue, but Borough mayor Vern Halter said a $22 million recreation bond also drew voters to the polls.
“I’m extremely excited about the rec bond passing, to fix up our swimming pools and our ice arena plus some of the work on the recreational trails,” Williams said. “It’s very exciting. And the way it passed, with the numbers, too. I guess, it didn’t surprise me that the NO vote on the marijuana passed, and that they will go ahead and let the state initiative go ahead. That didn’t surprise me. The numbers surprised me. It’s pretty strong numbers in my mind.”
The marijuana initiative, Prop B-1, was the subject of a lawsuit brought against the Borough by several potential marijuana growers. Last week, a state Superior court judge denied the plaintiffs an injunction against the ballot initiative.
Mayor Halter said he’s pleased with the unofficial results of the election.
“Maybe the marijuana drew people out,” Halter said. “I don’t know, but I hope that people came out to vote for the rec bond.. I guess you can tell I’m a big supporter of that rec bond. Little things matter, fixing things up that are worn out over the years. So I am pretty proud of that.”
In the Borough Assembly District 1 race, incumbent Jim Sykes led challenger Brian Endle by 140 votes.
District 2 incumbent Matthew Beck ran unopposed. The Borough school board district 2 race was won by Ray Michaelson with a slim 39 vote lead over challenger Susan Pougher. Donna Dearman and Yvonne Ruth ran unopposed for district 7 and district 5 school board seats.
More than 3400 absentee and questioned ballots remain to be counted. The Borough election will be certified on October 18.
APTI Reporter-Producer Ellen Lockyer started her radio career in the late 1980s, after a stint at bush Alaska weekly newspapers, the Copper Valley Views and the Cordova Times. When the Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Valdez Public Radio station KCHU needed a reporter, and Ellen picked up the microphone.
Since then, she has literally traveled the length of the state, from Attu to Eagle and from Barrow to Juneau, covering Alaska stories on the ground for the AK show, Alaska News Nightly, the Alaska Morning News and for Anchorage public radio station, KSKA
elockyer (at) alaskapublic (dot) org | 907.550.8446 | About Ellen
