The North Pole City Council is set to accept the resignation of Councilmember Chandra Clack at Monday’s regular meeting.
Clack submitted the letter announcing she was stepping away on Feb. 21. The letter does not describe why she’s forgoing the remainder of her term, which expires this October.
But Clack told KUAC her resignation is partially attributable to the budget concerns of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. The district is up against an estimated $16 million deficit, and with cuts and closures looming, Clack said her grandchildren will shift into homeschooling, a responsibility that Clack plans to help out with.
“My daughter is going to go ahead and take on the commitment of homeschooling,” she said. “And so, we’re gonna split the kids because they’re in different age brackets, so I’ll have one and she’ll have the other.”
Clack has been serving as a council member since October of 2022 and had a stint as mayor pro tem last year after the council voted to remove then-Mayor Michael Welch from office. She stayed in that role until North Pole voters elected Larry Terch to serve as mayor in the 2024 October municipal elections.
Per city code, the North Pole City Council will have 30 days to appoint someone to fill the new vacancy.
That appointment will last until this year’s election, when Clack’s term ends. And during a report to the Fairbanks North Star Borough Assembly Thursday, Terch encouraged city residents to apply.
“So if there’s anybody who lives in the city of North Pole and is interested in being on city council and serving your city, her term would be until the end of October,” he said. “So, a six-month stint – get your feet wet, and see if you truly like it. And if you don’t, it’s a short term, so that’ll give you a taste of what’s there.”
Clack’s resignation letter thanks the council for understanding, and reads, “I would like to express my gratitude for the opportunities and experiences I have had while serving on the council. It has been a privilege to work alongside dedicated individuals committed to improving the quality of life in our city.”
Clack said, though she’ll no longer be acting in the role of a council member, she plans to stay involved and hopes to see more and more residents follow the goings-on of city government and attend council meetings.
“I just think it’s important, as citizens, for where we live. And sometimes I think when you’re just kind of hearing some of it, and you’re not getting the full picture, is where we’re lacking communication,” she said.