Palmer City Council member Victoria Hudson resigns, citing accountability concerns

What you need to know:

• Palmer City Council member Victoria Hudson resigned Tuesday, citing concerns about city staff hiring, ethics, and a broader disregard for council authority.
• Her resignation statement included criticism of city leadership and an apology for supporting certain hires. No other council members raised ethical concerns during the meeting, and there are no current investigations into city staff or council members. Hudson’s resignation followed a heated closed-door session Monday regarding a contract for management of the city-owned golf course.
• Her seat will be filled by mayoral appointment, with an application to be posted this month.

• Short on time but need the local news scoop? Get free weekly news in your inbox for Mat-Su, from Mat-Su.

PALMER — Palmer City Council member Victoria Hudson has resigned, effective immediately.

Hudson resigned due to what she said is a range of ongoing issues within the city, including conflicts with City Manager Kolby Zerkel over staff management, potential conflict-of-interest disclosures among staff members, including Zerkel, continued concerns over construction of the new Palmer Public Library, and what she described as a disregard for council authority by members of city government, she said in an interview Tuesday.

“When accountability is punished and obedience rewarded, resignation becomes the only ethical act left,” Hudson said in her announcement during a regular City Council meeting Tuesday. “I refuse to help conceal this body’s failure, and I will not lend my name, my vote or my silence to conduct that betrays the public trust.”

Hudson read her nearly five-minute resignation statement at the close of Tuesday’s meeting. The statement referenced city staff members but did not name them directly. It included an apology for her “vote to hire and retain certain individuals,” which she said in an interview was a reference to Zerkel.

No other council members raised concerns about ethical violations or mismanagement during the meeting. The council has not requested or ordered an investigation into Zerkel’s conduct, and there are no pending investigations into the conduct of any current or former city staff or council members. 

Zerkel was present during the first half of Tuesday’s meeting but attended the second half by phone while traveling to the airport. She was not present when Hudson announced her resignation and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The council approved her resignation 6-1, with Council member John Alcantra voting no. The vacated seat will be filled through a direct appointment by Palmer Mayor Jim Cooper. An application for the seat will be posted on the Palmer city website this month, he said. 

Hudson joined the council in 2024. She lost an October bid for Palmer mayor to Cooper. She said she now plans to focus on her family and personal hobbies.

Zerkel was hired as Palmer city manager in March, nearly a year after the retirement of longtime manager John Moosey and following the hiring and tumultuous resignation of Stephen Jellie.

Jellie held the job for 53 days in 2024, starting about six weeks before Hudson’s election to the council. His brief and controversial tenure immediately overshadowed her time in office, with her first several months devoted to the topic — including a closed session on her second day in office during which Hudson and then-Council member Carolina Graver said Jellie criminally harassed them, according to a police report filed in late 2024. 

The Palmer district attorney’s office declined to file criminal charges against Jellie, citing “not enough information,” according to the report.

Hudson said she decided to resign following a special City Council meeting Monday, which included a nearly three-hour closed session regarding a management contract for the city-owned golf course.

While the contents of such sessions are confidential under city code, council members on Tuesday said the discussion was heated.

Whether the longtime contract with Eagle Golf Management should be extended without substantial changes or put out to bid has been the subject of controversy at council meetings and on social media since August. The topic is tied to ongoing discussions over whether land currently used for the golf course must ultimately be converted into airport space because it was purchased using federal funds.

City officials said they are in discussions with federal aviation officials about next steps for the airport and golf course property.

On Monday, the council voted to reissue a $475,000 contract to Eagle Golf Management with few changes. The new agreement includes a temporary ban on beer, wine and liquor sales at the golf course due to concerns over whether a city-held state alcohol license may be used for that purpose.

Whether alcohol sales can continue at the golf course will be determined following a ruling by the state Alcohol and Marijuana Control Office, council members said Monday.

-- Contact Amy Busahtz at contact@matsusentinel.com