Voting In MEA Election Begins March 30
Voting in Matanuska Electric Association’s (MEA) board elections starts on Thursday March 30. There are nine candidates vying for two seats on the cooperative’s Board of Directors. Both of the seats up for election are At-Large seats representing the entire membership, so all members are eligible to vote. Members are also being asked to approve four changes to MEA’s Bylaws. There are three ways to vote: by mail, electronically, or in person at the MEA Annual meeting on April 25. Information on candidates, the proposed bylaw changes, and voting can be found on the MEA elections website: https://www.mea.coop/2023elections
AETP has circulated questionnaires to the MEA board candidates and will publish their responses as they are received. The Susitna River Coalition is also holding a candidate forum at 6 p.m. on March 28—more information can be found here https://fb.me/e/2Af72bck5
The nine candidates running for the two board seats are (in alphabetical order): Anastasia Buretta, Bryan Cherry, Jedediah Cox, Joy Fearn-Condon, Constance “Connie” Fredenberg, Gregory Hunt, Sr., David Krumm, Ted Leonard, and Dan Tucker. Tucker currently serves on MEA’s Board. Brief candidate videos, biographies, and candidate statements can be found on MEA’s 2023 Elections page. Director Peter Burchell cannot run for re-election, having reached MEA’s term limit for board service (three consecutive terms). Voter turnout in MEA’s 2022 election was eleven percent.
The top vote-getter in the election will serve a four-year term, while the second-place finisher will serve a three-year term. This is part of an effort to stagger the election of board seats following a change in term-length instituted several years ago.
MEA members are also being asked to approve four changes to the cooperative’s Bylaws. The first proposed change would give MEA’s Board the ability to retire capital credits owed to former members (or their estates) to satisfy any debts they owed the cooperative. The second provides a clearer definition of “patron” in the Bylaws.
The third proposed change is to the definition of a member in “good standing.” Currently to be in good standing, a member must have paid all MEA bills on time over the previous three years. The new definition will allow members to be considered in good standing so long as they have not been late with more than one payment over the previous two years. This change primarily effects who is eligible to run for or serve on the MEA Board (which requires a member be in good standing). The fourth proposed change adds tribal governments to the list of recognized organizations within its service area.
Members did not submit any statements supporting or opposing any of the proposed bylaw changes.
MEA members have three ways to vote. Paper ballots, along with election guides, will be mailed out to members this week. On-line voting will open on Thursday March 30. Paper ballots must be received by 5 p.m. on April 24 to be counted. Electronic voting will also close on April 24. MEA members also have the option of voting in person at the cooperative’s Annual Meeting, which will be held on April 25 at 6 p.m. at the Palmer Train Depot.
