Mark Jensen/KFSK file photo
Voters will have a choice of candidates for mayor and for borough assembly in Petersburg this fall.
The only two mayors of the Petersburg borough both filed to seek the mayor’s seat, Mark Jensen and Cindi Lagoudakis. Jensen resigned his seat in May with more than two years left to go in his term. As vice mayor, Lagoudakis took over as mayor with Jensen’s resignation. Now both are running for the remaining two-year term.
Jensen said he was convinced by other local residents. “Well a lot of it was encouragement by some people I respect in town that asked me if I would put my name in,” he said Wednesday. “They just thought I would be better in the position. So I thought about it and applied.”
The 61-year-old Jensen is a welder and commercial fisherman. He has served as mayor of first the city, then the borough since November of 2012. He was on the city council before that. He has taken his summers off in the past to go fishing and turned the reigns over to the vice mayor.
“Over the course of the summer fishing I’ve reflected on the past 10 years and saw the way things kept moving forward and then when these people asked if I’d put my name in seeing that the mayor was running unopposed I said I would,” Jensen said.
His opponent, Lagoudakis, is 62 and retired from the U.S. Forest Service.
It’s not the only race for local office this fall. There are six people seeking two seats on the borough assembly Ken Hamilton, Richard Burke, Brandi Marohl, Will Ware, Jeff Meucci and Bob Lynn.
Tuesday, August 22 was the deadline for candidates to file paperwork to run for local office. Candidates who filed paperwork can still withdraw. The deadline for that is 5 p.m. Friday, August 25.
Many of the other vacant seats had no interest. Board president Sarah Holmgrain filed to keep her seat on the school board but the other vacant seat has no interest. George Doyle is the only taker for hospital board. Four other seats will be vacant. Four seats on the planning commission only have one candidate, incumbent Chris Fry. Mike Bangs is the only candidate for three seats on the harbor board and Stan Hjort is the only candidate for three spots on the public safety advisory board. The library board will have a full roster with Cynthia McDonell, Lizzie Thompson and Marilyn Menish-Meucci running for three seats on that advisory board.
Residents can also file as a write in candidate for some of the vacant seats. A letter of intent must be filed with the borough clerk’s office by 5 p.m. September 29th.
The election is October 3rd. The last day to register to vote is September 3rd. Absentee voting starts on September 13.
