A group of North Slope residents is working to recall borough mayor Josiah Aullaqsruaq Patkotak, accusing him of misusing public funds.
They claim the mayor, who earns over $280,000 a year, improperly received borough funds to cover expensive family travel.
The recall petition states that Patkotak used borough money for “lavish travel expenses” for his family on at least 15 domestic and international trips, costing tens of thousands of dollars.
The borough assembly updated the borough code in December to allow compensation for family travel, but Patkotak’s trips happened before this change.
Marietta Aiken, one of the residents leading the recall effort, said Patkotak is ignoring the rules. “Everybody, even the mayor, has to follow rules and regs and procedures,” Aiken said. “He thinks those standards don’t apply to him.”
Angela Cox, the borough’s director of government and external affairs, said some past mayors traveled with family even before the code change.
“It has long been the practice of the borough to support the mayor and their spouse for travel as they fulfill their public duties,” Cox stated.
The group submitted its first recall application in February, but the clerk’s office rejected it, saying it didn’t meet the legal grounds for recall.
In Alaska, officials can only be recalled for misconduct in office, incompetence, or failure to perform prescribed duties.
The group filed a new application on March 4, which is currently under review by outside counsel.
One resident, Beverly Aqak Hugo, filed a court complaint last Friday, asking the court to direct the borough to approve the petition.
Family Travel Expenses
Travel records show that Patkotak often took his family — including his wife and young children — on trips paid for by the borough.
These trips included flights to villages in the North Slope, Anchorage, Fairbanks, Seattle, New York, and even Peru. Many flights were first class, and accommodations included luxury suites.
Hugo, a retired Iñupiaq language teacher, said this was a key reason behind the recall effort. “The mayor’s family is not the borough’s responsibility,” Hugo said.
“He and his father make enough money to cover their family’s travel expenses themselves.”
At a borough assembly meeting in December, Patkotak admitted he was already using borough funds for family travel and defended the practice.
He argued that bringing his family along helped him work more efficiently. “When you elect a mayor, you’re electing the family unit that he or she represents,” Patkotak said.
Cox supported this view, saying that because Patkotak has young children between ages 2 and 11, traveling with family is more necessary for him.
Travel records from past mayors were reportedly lost in a January fire, but Cox said some records show that former mayor Harry Brower Jr.’s spouse also accompanied him on business trips at the borough’s expense.
No other borough in Alaska allows payment for family travel. Clerks from eight boroughs confirmed that their policies prohibit funding for family members’ travel.
“We do not pay for any family members to accompany any elected officials or employees on business trips,” said Nova Javier, Kodiak Island Borough clerk.
First Class Flights and Luxury Expenses
North Slope Borough policy requires officials to choose the lowest refundable tourist class airfare unless the mayor authorizes an upgrade. However, records show that Patkotak frequently chose the first class.
In September, Patkotak took an 11-day trip to Lima, Peru, for an International Whaling Commission meeting. The trip cost nearly $16,000, including first-class airfare and a deluxe suite with a jacuzzi and sauna.
In October, Patkotak planned to attend the Arctic Circle Assembly in Iceland before heading to New York for a bond sale.
He canceled the Iceland portion, losing about $3,000 on nonrefundable hotel reservations. The New York trip alone cost over $15,000, including first-class flights.
Patkotak was accompanied in New York by 17 others, including borough employees, assembly members, and their spouses.
All 17 flew first class, costing the borough nearly $115,000. Cox defended the expense, saying the bond sale trip was essential for understanding how the borough funds major projects like village schools and power plants.
She argued that flying first class was justified because the trip involved 12 hours of travel and a four-hour time difference.
Patkotak also charged the borough nearly $2,000 for a group dinner in New York, despite travelers receiving per diem payments for meals.
Cox said the dinner cost reflected New York’s high prices.
Patkotak also traveled first class to other cities like Anchorage, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Philadelphia.
He used a limousine service during a trip to California and hired a luxury chauffeur in Washington, D.C., for a six-day trip that cost over $9,000.
Other Allegations
The recall petition also accuses Patkotak of misusing the borough’s medevac plane for non-medical trips, approving nepotism waivers, and misusing public funds to open an office in Anchorage.
Residents are also seeking to recall Crawford Patkotak, the borough assembly president and the mayor’s father.
They accuse him of misconduct for voting to allow family travel without disclosing his interest. Hugo said this is a clear conflict of interest.
“The conflict of interest of the father and son — that is not acceptable. It should never be tolerated,” she said.
If the borough finds the recall petition valid, the group will need to gather signatures from 25% of the total voters in the last regular election.
If successful, the borough clerk will present it to the assembly, and an election will be scheduled within 90 days.
Disclaimer- Our team has thoroughly fact-checked this article to ensure its accuracy and maintain its credibility. We are committed to providing honest and reliable content for our readers.