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The KUCB Newsroom provides newscasts Monday through Thursday at noon and 5 PM on KUCB Radio. You can find many of our local news stories here.

Kelty Declines To Appeal Mayoral Recall Election Set For March

Berett Wilber/KUCB

Unalaska’s recall election will proceed as scheduled, as Mayor Frank Kelty did not file an appeal by the Thursday deadline.

Kelty said his decision largely came down to cost.

“It would have probably cost close to $15,000 to $20,000 in lawyer fees,” he said.

Kelty also said it would have been difficult to reverse the recall effort under current Alaska law. He cited a court decision rejecting an appeal in Homer last year.

“There’s no strength in the statute," he said. "So the Superior Court says, ‘What can we do?’”

The recall ballot will ask voters whether they want to recall Kelty over alleged misconduct regarding city dock agreements.

The mayor has denied the accusations, but recall petitioners say the community has lost confidence in his leadership.

The recall election is set for March 6.

Laura Kraegel reported for KUCB from 2016 until 2020. She was KUCB's news director starting in 2019. We are proud to have her back in the spring of 2023 filling in as an interim reporter for KUCB.
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