Southeast Alaska voters shot down some tax changes and construction projects during the Oct. 7 municipal elections. Here’s a quick look at what passed and what didn’t.
Petersburg:
Petersburg voters defeated a plan to phase out the borough’s senior citizen sales-tax exemption. They also voted down a measure limiting the exemption to food and heating fuel.
But voters agreed to limit the tax break to resident seniors who spend at least half the year in town.
Petersburg also narrowly OK’d a $2-a-pack cigarette tax and a 45 percent tax on other tobacco products, plus e-cigarettes.
Voters there also defeated measures raising the sales-tax cap and exempting candidates from state campaign-finance reporting rules.
Ketchikan:
In Ketchikan, city voters approved $10 million toward replacing aging water and sewer lines. A borough proposition to add a neighborhood south of the city to a municipal services area also passed.
Haines:
Haines voters OK’d bond sales to upgrade the school district’s vocational education facility. But they voted down school roof repairs. A ballot proposition changing municipal rules to drop runner-up elections passed.
Skagway:
In Skagway, voters narrowly approved a measure to build a new, $12 million public safety facility. But a measure increasing the city’s seasonal sales tax to fund construction failed.
Juneau:
Juneau voters gave their assembly the power to delegate budget and rate decisions to what’s called an empowered board overseeing its two swimming pools.
