Wrangell Mayor Steve Prysunka was unopposed when he won a second term last October. More than 85% of voters cast their ballot for Prysunka; about 15% wrote in someone else. In 2018, he won election with almost 80% of the vote against the other candidate on the ballot.
Sure seems like a strong case of majority rule and overwhelming community support.
But a contingent of Wrangell residents don't like it. They want to force a special election to recall the mayor.
Why?
Mostly because they didn't like Wrangell's mask rules, claiming the rules restricted their freedoms. The municipal order required people to wear masks while at indoor public spaces.
But the rules were not about limiting anyone's freedoms, they were about protecting others from possible infection. That's all it was, nothing more sinister than doing what's necessary to help keep your friends and neighbors from getting sick.
The municipal ordinance also recommended limiting gatherings to fewer than 20 people, reduced restaurant capacity and imposed quarantine and testing requirements on travelers.
Wrangell has had just 28 COVID-19 cases since the start of the pandemic. Judging by the low number, it appears mask wearing helps.
It's sad that health and safety and stopping an infectious deadly disease has become a political battle in this country, and now in Wrangell.
If you don't like wearing a mask, don't wear one, but don't go into public areas and risk infecting others. Most people who carry the virus don't even know it, so why take the chance and put your neighbors at risk.
If you disagree with the municipality's efforts to protect more than 2,000 residents, that's OK. It's your right to object. But overturning an election in an emotional fever is not healthy. Not for democracy and not for Wrangell.
The recall organizers prematurely turned in their opening paperwork last month to start gathering petition signatures to force a recall vote. The law requires they wait until at least 120 days into the mayor's term. That means they have to wait until early February to submit their paperwork.
That gives the organizers time to reconsider, and plenty of time to find a candidate for mayor in the next election. That's the way to set policy, not a recall.
- Wrangell Sentinel
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