An advisory question on October’s ballot asking voters whether they want a cruise dock near downtown will move forward. But it’s not headed for the ballot just yet.

The Assembly advanced the question on first reading. It will still need another look before it goes before voters.

A handful of people testified about the proposal at Tuesday night’s Assembly meeting. Sheila Finkenbinder urged the Assembly to get the measure on the ballot.

“Sitka’s economy does need help. We all know that. We’re always having discussions about raising fees and raising taxes,” Finkenbinder said. “Assuming the research is correct, and more people will get off a cruise ship when it’s docked downtown, then we know that that translates to more people buying more goods in town, which is helpful for our downtown merchants and tour operators, as well as the increased sales tax revenue that will be collected by the city to be used on anything and everything that the city needs.”

Finkenbinder’s comments lined up with downtown retailer Eugene Solovyov, who owns the Sitka Rose Gallery with his wife. But opinions varied, even among the half-dozen people who testified. Gerry Hope, speaking as president of the Chamber of Commerce, urged the Assembly to wait until next year to put it on the ballot, after more research was done.

And Chris McGraw, whose company built a cruise ship dock at the north end of Halibut Point Road, said if the city built a dock, it would be competing with private industry.

No cruise ship has visited the dock yet, but McGraw says he’s working on attracting a vessel, hopefully next year. He predicted voters would reject a downtown dock.

“If it gets voted down, the ultimate headline will read ‘Sitka says no to cruise ships,’” McGraw said, “and I don’t think that’s the message Sitka needs to be putting out in the current economic times, while we’re trying to attract visitors and additional sales tax revenues to our town.”

Assembly members moved the measure forward on a 5-2 vote, but they didn’t exactly do so enthusiastically. Even some of the yes votes, like Pete Esquiro, said they didn’t want to kill the conversation by voting no, but couldn’t guarantee their support at the next meeting.

Phyllis Hackett was one of the “no” votes on the measure. She had concerns about the way the question was phrased.

“A breakwater with direct access to the Centennial Hall complex in an effort to help reduce local fees and harbor rates? Is that why we’re doing it? To reduce local fees and harbor rates? No. If we’re going to do it, we’re doing it to hopefully bring in more sales tax. Does that mean that sales tax is going to reduce local fees or harbor rates? No. It doesn’t mean that at all.”

Mim McConnell joined Hackett’s “no” vote. She said much of the language was “fluff,” and wanted to see it clarified. It next comes up for discussion Aug. 14.