By the time Petersburg’s polls closed on Tuesday night, 1,120 ballots had been cast and counted. That’s about 160 fewer than last year.
The preliminary results remain unofficial until the election is canvassed.
Ballot propositions
Three questions were on Petersburg’s municipal ballot this year.
Proposition 1 came from the Borough’s power department, and authorizes a $3.3 million revenue bond for a diesel generator project south of town in Scow Bay.
Unofficial results show Prop 1 passed by a two-thirds majority, with 709 votes in favor and 366 against.
Proposition 2 sought to increase the maximum amount a single purchase can be taxed. For decades, Petersburg’s cap has been $72 max on a $1,200 purchase. Officials say it’s the lowest cap among major towns in Southeast Alaska. The Borough-backed proposition asked to raise that cap, so purchases over $5,000 would be taxed $300 at most. The Borough uses sales tax revenue to support paying for essential services.
The measure was on the ballot two years ago and failed by a narrow margin. Voters were closely divided on the issue again this year.
Unofficial results show Prop 2 failed by just 14 votes, with 545 in favor and 559 voting against the change.
Proposition 3 was a citizen initiative, asking whether the Borough should have a senior sales tax exemption for residents aged 70 and older, regardless of income.
Unofficial results show Prop 3 passed by 20 votes, with 565 in favor and 545 against.
Last year, voters decided by a thin margin to limit Petersburg’s senior sales tax exemption to just low-income residents age 65 and up. According to sales tax observations shared by finance officials, the Borough made an additional $250,000 in sales tax revenue within six months after limiting the senior sales tax exemption.
Passing Prop 3 won’t affect the existing low-income exemption, but officials estimate it’ll remove hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales tax revenue from the Borough.
Elected local office
There were 23 positions up for election this fall. A few seats remain vacant without candidates.
While counting the votes, poll workers said they saw various write-ins cast for Petersburg local and U.S. Senate candidate Dan J. Sullivan. Those don’t count, however, because Sullivan didn’t file for candidacy as a write-in for local office.
Gregg Kowalski was the only valid write-in candidate. He got 12 votes in his bid to keep his seat on the Parks & Recreation Advisory Board. Ultimately, voters elected Tyler Thain (814 votes) and Thomas Fine-Walsh (697 votes) for the two open seats.
The election for Petersburg’s Borough Assembly was the most contested race on the municipal ballot. Six candidates ran for three open seats.
Voters elected incumbent Jeigh Stanton Gregor with 551 votes, and Donna Marsh with 517 votes, for the two 3-year terms.
Sarah Fine-Walsh fell just short with 505 votes; and 402 votes were cast for Tom Kowalske.
Incumbent Scott Newman was also elected for the 1-year assembly seat, with 712 votes. Challenger Don Koenigs fell behind, with 345 votes.
As for the other races across local office:
All three incumbents running for the town’s Public Safety Advisory Board were reelected. Mark Tuccillo (824 votes) and John Lichtenberger (663 votes) will serve three more years. And Greg Browning (619 votes) was reelected for another year.
Both School Board incumbents, Katherine Holmlund (832 votes) and Marc Taylor (755 votes), were elected to keep their seats — Holmlund for three years and Taylor for the two-year term.
For the two Hospital Board seats, Janet Kvernvik (900 votes) was elected alongside incumbent Jerod Cook (757 votes) for three years.
Incumbents Lizzie Thompson (813 votes) and Merilyn Menish-Meucci (729 votes) were reelected to their seats on the Library Advisory Board, alongside Gina Esposito (790 votes).
For the Harbor and Ports Advisory Board, John Murgas (820 votes) and incumbent Andrew Kittams (760 votes) will fill two seats. Nobody ran for the other three-year term, so that seat will be vacant for now.
Planning Commission incumbents Chris Fry (677 votes), Heather O’Neil (768 votes) and Jim Floyd (726 votes) were reelected for three-year seats. No candidates ran for the 2-year term and the 1-year term, so those two commissioner seats will remain vacant for now.
Letters of intent to fill those positions can be submitted to the borough clerk after the election is canvassed. It’ll be up to the Assembly to decide who temporarily fills the roles. Appointed positions last until the next municipal election.
Results to be finalized
There are two outstanding mail-in ballots remaining. However, those potential votes are not enough to change the outcome of these preliminary results.
The final results for Petersburg’s municipal election will be canvassed at noon this Friday, Oct. 9, in the Assembly Chambers.
Find more coverage from the 2026 election in the KFSK Voter Guide.
