The results are final and residents of Whale Pass have officially approved the incorporation of Alaska’s newest second-class city.
The small community on Prince of Wales Island voted this winter to form a new city government. Residents also elected seven people to a new Whale Pass city council.
The state’s Division of Elections counted 46 ballots and certified the results on Jan. 19. The final count shows nearly three quarters of the ballots in favor of incorporation.
That makes Whale Pass the 116th second-class city in Alaska. The new city government has the power to levy taxes and provide services for an area that’s 26 square miles on the eastern side of the island.
Supporters of the new city said they had no immediate plans for new taxes but wanted to ensure the community continued to receive revenue sharing money from the state. Whale Pass is a former logging camp in the state’s unorganized borough.
