Ketchikan voters have two ballots to fill out in this year’s municipal election: one for the City of Ketchikan and one for the borough.
There are seven propositions on the city ballot this year. One is a revenue bond to authorize improvements to the city wastewater facility, and there are six proposed changes to the city charter.
Proposition one is looking for voter authorization for a $15 million bond for the city’s wastewater facility and infrastructure. It’s not to enter into the bonding process yet — Acting City Manager Lacey Simpson said they are still working on finalizing prices for the projects. The wastewater system is owned by the City of Ketchikan, so all debt loans require voter approval before the projects can be pursued.
The first project would be to fix and improve the city’s main sewer infrastructure along the Tongass Highway corridor. The second project is to install a new disinfection system at the city’s charcoal point wastewater treatment facility.
“The treatment upgrades, in terms of the disinfection, are not only incredibly important and needed, but they are required,” Simpson said. “If we do not make those improvements, we will no longer be compliant at our wastewater facility, which means that we will no longer be able to treat our wastewater. And this is a basic service that the city provides.”
This would be paid for with increases to rates. Simpson estimates that if voters authorized the proposition and the entirety of the projects totaled the full $15 million, that would be around a $4.72 increase a month for residents.
Simpson says if this doesn’t pass, they will run a special election and work to get it passed so the city can operate wastewater treatment services.
The other six measures on the city ballot are changes to the city charter. That includes smaller changes to the city charter, like Proposition 2. There is a month-long waiting period after an ordinance is approved by the city council before it goes into effect. This amendment would allow these ordinances to go into effect immediately, or after a period of time that the council decides upon approval. As it stands, all ordinances have an effective date.
A yes vote for Proposition 3 would allow the Ketchikan city manager to live anywhere on the island, rather than just in Ketchikan city limits.
Another ballot measure, Proposition 4, would loosen laws around selling some city property. Proposition 4 would allow the city to sell property over $30,000 — or enter into contracts lasting over five years — without a public vote. That would allow the city to sell its public utility without voter approval. Simpson told KRBD the city has no plan to do so.
Simpson and Ketchikan’s city clerk Kim Stanker spoke in depth about all of the ballot measures late last week in a questionnaire with KRBD.
On the borough ballot, there’s only one ballot measure up for a vote. Proposition 1 asks voters to approve an extension of the school capital projects sales tax. The 0.5% tax was first approved by borough voters in 2004, and helps finance bondable school capital improvement projects, like roof replacements and safety upgrades.
“There are many capital improvement needs,” said Ketchikan Gateway Borough Clerk Kacie Paxton. “There are many that have been accomplished using this dedicated funding source. And there are needs in the future for capital projects for schools.”
One school improvement project on the borough’s list is the installation of a new heating and ventilation system at Point Higgins Elementary School. Another would fund security systems at some borough schools.
The 0.5% sales tax is slated to expire in 2027 unless approved this week by borough voters. If the proposition passes, the sales tax will be extended through 2032.
KRBD’s Hunter Morrison contributed to this reporting.
