Two groups of Juneau residents filed proposed citizen propositions this week aimed at undoing some of the consequences of ballot measures that voters approved last election.
Late Tuesday morning, a group of five residents walked into the City and Borough of Juneau clerk’s office to drop off a proposed ballot proposition that seeks to reverse a decision voters approved last fall.
During the October municipal election, voters approved a ballot measure that placed a cap on the city’s property tax rate, also known as the mill rate. Voters also passed another proposition that exempts essential food and residential utilities from local sales tax.
An advocacy group called the Affordable Juneau Coalition brought forth both propositions. The goal was to make Juneau more affordable by reducing the tax burden on residents. But reducing those taxes means the city is taking in $10 to $12 million less in revenue annually.
“When we start cutting so deep that we’re losing the icing on the cake, I think that it’s important to realize that we’ve overstepped and to step it back a little bit,” said Pat Race, one of the residents hoping to restore some city revenue.
The Juneau Assembly is now grappling with how to pencil out the city’s budget without that revenue before the next fiscal year begins on July 1. Last week, the Assembly began contemplating a list of more than 40 city services that could be on the chopping block, including closing some recreational facilities, slashing local grants and more.
“I think the list of potential cuts has been really sobering for people. I don’t envy the Assembly members for having to make some of the decisions that they’re facing,” said Alida Bus, another one of the five people who signed on to support the new proposition.
She and other members of the group – Katherine Cornelius, Ephraim Froehlich, Taylor Vidic and Race – say losing those services would erode what makes Juneau an attractive place to live. That’s why they created a proposed ballot proposition that would reverse the mill rate cap and restore some of the long-term revenue loss the city is facing, along with potential service cuts.
“We do value these things and want to take little ones to the field house and play soccer there,” Bus said. “The city museum is on the chopping block — there’s all kinds of stuff that just is concerning.”
And, they’re not the only people in town who want to undo what transpired in the last election. Michael Cole is one of five residents who are proposing a different ballot measure. It seeks to implement a 1% seasonal sales tax in Juneau during the summer tourism season — May 1 to Sept. 30. Right now, the city taxes residents at 5% year-round.
“With all the proposed cuts to recreation here in Juneau, it very quickly became apparent that we needed that as minimal as we could have the impact be,” Cole said.
He said the group of signers — including Maike Undurraga Perl, Brock Tabor, Jennifer Lefing and JoAnn Quigg — is made up of parents concerned with how the potential service cuts could impact their kids’ well-being, especially the proposed closure of recreational facilities like pools and Dimond Park Field House. He said the 1% seasonal tax is aimed at financially supporting the city’s recreational facilities.
Last year, voters shot down a ballot proposition that also sought to implement a seasonal sales tax system in Juneau, but at a much more dramatic level than the 1% bump Cole and the other signers are proposing. He said that’s the point.
“It seems like it is something that was going to be affordable, and yet also would bring in some good revenue,” he said. “And most of that revenue, the bigger chunk of it would come from the cruise industry.”
Angela Rodell, a member of the Affordable Juneau Coalition, called the two proposed propositions premature and reactionary to the proposed cuts, which are still up in the air. And, she said she is skeptical that the groups will be able to gather enough signatures to get on the ballot.
“This is what happens when you stir up people and go after the most popular things right away,” she said, referring to the Assembly’s list of proposed cuts.
Both proposed ballot propositions still need to undergo a legal review by the city attorney and be certified by the city clerk. If the proposals are certified, each group has 30 days to collect 2,566 signatures of support for their propositions to appear in Juneau’s Oct. 6 municipal election.
