Backers of a petition for the Mat-Su Valley community of Big Lake to incorporate as a city have temporarily tabled their campaign to do so, for lack of signatures in an initial drive to put the question on a local ballot. Jim Faiks, a representative of petitioners backing incorporation, says the decision was made to “drop back and reconsider” the campaign as it faced a Tuesday deadline to receive enough support. “A review of the proposed boundaries by the commission resulted in a requirement of more signatures than expected,” Faiks wrote in an email to media. “The Commission required 60 more signatures than we anticipated and in addition they rejected 41 of our 234 signatures, leaving us short of the number required to move forward.” According to Faiks, supporters learned a great deal during their signature-gathering efforts and believe their message will gain a greater audience as Big Lake continues to expand. “Big Lake has enjoyed a good relationship with the Mat-Su Borough and with the state,” Faiks wrote. “The community will continue to work through the Borough to achieve its goals and to have its voice heard.” Channel 2’s Kortnie Horazdovsky contributed information to this story.
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