10 candidates running for the Point Hope city council following removal of mayor

Two weeks after the former Point Hope city mayor was removed from his position, ten people, including incumbents and newcomers, are running in the October election for city council and mayor.

Since Point Hope is a second-class city, it has seven council members, and the mayor is elected by and from the council. Point Hope residents will vote for candidates who put their names in for Seats B, E and F. After candidates with the highest number of votes are sworn into the council, the council will hold a reorganization meeting to decide the new mayor, if the chosen candidate accepts the nomination, said temporary City Clerk Janelle Tingook.

“During that reorganization, the council determines who will obtain which seat,” Tingook said. “The reorganization contains all council members who were elected, which includes the newly elected officials.”

[Point Hope City Council unanimously votes to remove mayor from office]

Earlier this month, the Point Hope City Council voted to remove the former City Mayor Tariek Oviok from office, following accusations that the mayor misused public funds and withheld information from the council. Since then, the city council has been working to restore their access to the city’s financial account and schedule an audit for the municipality, said Acting Mayor Henry Nashookpuk.

The city also hired a law firm, Birch Horton Bittner & Cherot, to represent their interests. The previous city lawyer, Craig Richards, resigned because he had “not been brought up into matters far enough in advance and with full information sufficient to give competent advice,” according to his resignation letter.

Meanwhile, the city election is scheduled for Oct. 1, with three seats, including the mayor, opening up.

In the race for Seat B, Sharyll Nashookpuk is challenging the incumbent and longtime Point Hope environmentalist Caroline Cannon.

For Seat E, there is a sole candidate running, incumbent and Acting Mayor Nashookpuk. He said he is running because he wants “to help get everything back to normal” in the city.

The most contested race for Seat F has seven candidates: Lauren Margaret Kowunna, Eunice Lane, Masuk Casados Lane, Bridgett Oviok, Jack Schaefer, Sarah Stone and Robert Rex Omnik.

Kowunna is a former finance administrator for the City of Point Hope who put together a financial report alleging that former mayor misused public funds. Kowunna said she is running for council because she is ready to take on another level of leadership within the community. She said she has worked in various roles with the city and the tribe before, and her knowledge and skills have made her qualified for the position.

“I choose to seek answers for people when a question is asked. I choose to solve problems and find solutions. I believe in community. I believe in the people. I want a brighter future for everyone around, especially future generations. I want people to feel like they have someone to run to when they need help,” she said. “Now we can start (the) new development to expand our community. There is always light in the darkest of places. Choose to find the light so you can lead others into the light.”

Omnik is the Village Liason at Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope and the village’s point of contact for ICAS Emergency management. He has also been a board member of Tikigaq Corp. and the ICAS regional council. He said he is running to contribute to the city council in a positive way.

“Leaning and banking on my experience and gained knowledge in those different sectors has me confident and willing to contribute to our city government.,” Omnik said. “I am wanting to mend the relationships of the entities within our town. That is crucial to moving forward to working all together to identify, collaborate and address those issues — one of the top ones being an evacuation road and site.”

The rest of the candidates for Seat F could not be reached for this story.