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.