Applications are being accepted from now until July 11 to fill the vacancy left by assembly member Johnson. Not only did he step down as the City of Kodiak’s Harbormaster and Port Director, Johnson also submitted his resignation letter to the Borough Assembly earlier this month.
According to Borough Clerk Nova Javier, the Borough Assembly must appoint an eligible applicant to fill the vacancy within 30 days after Johnson’s seat was declared vacant on June 25.
“There are still more than 90 days remaining in the term since the position he holds will not end until October 2027," she said.
Javier said the Borough Assembly is scheduled to conduct interviews with applicants starting on July 16.
Johnson and his family are preparing to leave Kodiak next month but according to reporting from the Kodiak Daily Mirror, he will continue to own property on the island.
Johnson’s three-year term on the assembly began in October of 2024. Prior to that he served on the Kodiak Island School District’s Board of Education for several years. He is the third assembly member to resign from his seat within the last year before his term expired, which includes Ryan Sharratt, Jared Griffin and now Johnson.
Several Borough Assembly members like Bo Whiteside thanked Johnson for his service to the community on Thursday during a special meeting.
“I really appreciate people who challenge me, and you do it in a way that's respectful and cordial, but firm," Whiteside said to Johnson.
All six present assembly members, including Johnson, formally approved his resignation on June 25.
Interested candidates wanting to fill Johnson’s seat through the municipal election in October must be a qualified resident and voter of the borough for a minimum of one year.
And for transparency, Borough Mayor Jared Griffin is also the general manager at KMXT. Per KMXT’s policy, he does not have any editorial influence over news stories and doesn’t review them before they air.
