GVEA Cancels Board Election Due To Lack of Candidates
The Board of Directors of Golden Valley Electric Association (GVEA) cancelled its scheduled board election this spring after no candidates filed to run against the three incumbents whose terms are ending this year. The incumbent Directors in Districts 1, 2, and 3 (Dave Messier, Tom DeLong, and Rick Solie) were reappointed to new three-year terms at GVEA’s March 28 meeting, in accordance with board policy. The cancellation also means that a set of proposed bylaw changes will not go before GVEA members this year. The cancellation will save the utility and its members the cost of running the election, which GVEA staff estimates to be about $25,000 per district.
GVEA has separate nominating committees for each of its seven districts. According to statements posted to the GVEA Elections page by the Chairs of the Nominating Committees in Districts 1, 2, and 3, each committee worked hard to find potential candidates, but ultimately only the three incumbents applied to run for the Board. There were no other candidates via the petition process either. According to the Nominating Committees, GVEA members they tried to recruit as candidates cited a number of reasons for declining to run—these included the significant time commitment required of board members, service on other boards, and satisfaction with the incumbent director representing that district.
GVEA also cancelled one of two scheduled board elections last year for similar reasons, when it could not find anyone to run against the incumbent director in District 5. There was a contested race in District 6, where the incumbent director retired. In 2021 both races for board seats (District 4 and 7) were competitive.
GVEA Bylaws require the Nominating Committees to advance two candidates for each seat. Because they were unable to do so, the three incumbent directors were required to apply to run as petition candidates. In cases where there is only one eligible candidate for a board seat, GVEA board policy gives the Board the option of cancelling the election for that district and appointing the candidate to the seat (the board can choose not to cancel the election, if they do not wish to appoint the candidate). The other four board members voted unanimously to reappoint Messier, DeLong, and Solie at the March 28 meeting.
At its February meeting GVEA’s Board had approved sending a number of proposed bylaw changes to its members this year. However, this was made contingent on there being at least two contested elections. This was done as a cost-savings measure—a bylaws change has to be voted on by all members, meaning running elections in all seven districts. If elections were not already being run in at least two districts, the Board felt the cost was too high to run an election just for the bylaw changes. The GVEA Board will consider putting the bylaw changes before members next year.
Ironically, many of the proposed bylaw changes concern the nomination process and who is eligible to run for the GVEA Board. One change would elevate the board policy of appointing candidates in uncontested elections to become part of the Bylaws—this would give members an opportunity to approve or reject the practice. Another proposed change would allow the nominating committees to advance a single candidate to the ballot—this would make it so unchallenged candidates would not have to go through the petition process, as they did this year.
GVEA will hold its Annual Meeting on Thursday April 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Hering Auditorium at Lathrop High School in Fairbanks. A member-event, with complimentary food, education displays, family activities, and games will start at 5:00 p.m. The meeting will also be livestreamed on GVEA’s YouTube channel.
