Sitka voters soundly rejected a proposed property tax hike on Tuesday, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the town is anti-tax.

The community has stepped forward several times over the last fifteen years to raise taxes – often by wide margins. But not once in that period have voters ever raised the property tax. Continue

A proposal to raise property taxes in Sitka was defeated nearly 2-to-1 last night. That’s the unofficial result of Sitka’s municipal elections, which also saw all incumbents return to their seats, and the addition of a few new faces. Continue

Mike Reif and Pete Esquiro have won three-year terms on the Sitka assembly. Incumbent Phyllis Hackett has won a one-year term with a successful write-in campaign. Tim Fulton and Tonia Rioux have won seats on the school board. Voters rejected a property tax increase by a nearly two-to-one margin. Continue

Tuesday’s election demonstrated that Sitkans are big on their schools, especially when that support translates into major state funding.
Three out of four voters approved a pair of bond measures to pay for major maintenance at Blatchley Middle School. The margin was nearly as large for using the summer sales tax hike to pay for major maintenance at Pacific High. Continue

Cheryl Westover has the lead in the race for mayor, but the result is still too close to call. Meanwhile, Terry Blake and Thor Christianson look to be on their way to the Assembly table. Continue

Sitka’s laws on smoking will not change in the wake of Tuesday’s election. Continue

Sitka voters said a firm “no” to a package of propositions intended to rescue the Hames PE Center on the campus of the former Sheldon Jackson College.
The split was roughly 60-40 against props 6, 7, and 8. Continue

Unofficial election returns are in for several of the communities in KCAW’s listening area. Continue