Recently resigned Haines Borough Assemblymember William Prisciandaro will be replaced by the third-place vote getter in the coming election. That’s what the assembly decided after unanimously accepting his resignation at a meeting on Tuesday night.
According to the borough Clerk, the assembly had three options to replace Prisciandaro: appoint the third-highest vote getter from the upcoming election, solicit letters of interest and appoint someone, or another method of appointment as long as it includes public notice and attention to qualifications.
Assemblymembers Sean Maidy and Stephanie Scott wanted the people to decide in the upcoming election, rather than make an appointment.
Assemblymembers Heather Lende, Brenda Josephson, and Tom Morphet argued the assembly should appoint Prisciandaro’s replacement, since the filing period for the election ended before the resignation.
“The filing period is already over. I think that by doing this we will change the chemistry of the election,” said Lende.
“It may be more people would have filed, we had one candidate that removed her name that may have stayed. I think it is not fair to do it that way.”
But since there are only five seated assembly members, two “no” votes can sink a motion. Assemblymember Lende changed her vote to move the decision making forward.
Assemblymember Josephson said this issue was the number one reason residents contacted her preceding the meeting, and she didn’t like any of the options that were before the assembly.
“Any way you look at it, it stinks. There’s a stench about it and I hate it. And as an assemblyperson, I don’t know what to do about it. We are in a no-win situation,” she said.
She said the assembly should look at code and come up with a solution so that this situation does not occur again.
Voters will cast only two votes in the election. The third runner up will be assigned the third assembly seat. Haines Borough elections will be held October 1, 2019.
