After a delay of a day and much debate, the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly certified an election that will create a fire service area in Two Rivers, which is within the boundaries of the Fairbanks North Star Borough.
The Nov. 15 election drew criticism from some residents after a reporter from the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner published the wrong day for the upcoming election, and there was also a complaint that a borough worker gave out bad information to voters.
The election was to be certified late last week but some Assembly members balked until they could consider the concerns brought by the public. The question was, “if a reporter gives out wrong information about an upcoming election, can that election be considered valid?” The answer from the Assembly’s legal counsel was “yes.” And most on the Assembly agreed, with certification passing 5-3.
The community located along Chena Hot Springs Road is unincorporated, and has about 650 residents northeast of Fairbanks. In 2021, a young man set several buildings on fire in a string of gasoline-fueled arsons, and there was no volunteer fire service to respond. That’s when a group gathered to put together a fire service area, and they’ve been working on the project for more than a year and a half.
The area in question is about 40 minutes from the nearest fire station. A fire station comes with costs that will be borne by property owners in the area. The vote by area residents was 149 Yes, 92 No, and 5 not counted.
Assembly member Jimi Cash broke the tie. Because of the confusion over the date of the election, it’s also possible for the Assembly to set a new election.
