A citizen-led recall campaign to oust nearly half of Thorne Bay’s city council narrowly failed by less than two dozen votes in the Prince of Wales Island community.

The petitioners accused council members Eric Rhodes, Roslyn Hert and Roger Longbotham of improprieties stemming from the dismissal of Thorne Bay’s city administrator. The council members all deny wrongdoing.

A final tally from Friday evening included absentee voters, which decided the election.

Eric Rhodes, who controversially suspended the administrator while serving as acting mayor, kept his seat by eight votes. Longbotham and Hert each won by between 10 and 20 votes.

A total of 206 people voted in Thorne Bay’s recall election.