Anchorage bond issues were passing in initial results from Anchorage's municipal elections Tuesday night, with about 97 percent of precincts reporting.
Several propositions on this year’s municipal ballot concerned bond issues to back an array of city projects, ranging from roads to repairs for school facilities.
The Anchorage School Board decided in December to scale back Proposition 1, its bond proposal for this year’s election, which was passing with 57 percent of the vote. It asks for just under $60 million to make repairs across the city as well as improvements at Service High School. The Anchorage Assembly approved putting the bond issue on the ballot, despite concerns that it still might cost too much for many local voters to support.
Proposition 2, the city’s main road bond, was passing with about 64 percent of the vote. It would spend nearly $27.5 million on a variety of projects from $5.2 million for road reconstruction on the north side of Campbell Lake to $87,000 in matching funds for a pedestrian safety and rehabilitation program. As of 9:30 p.m. Tuesday it was passing 62 percent to 38 percent, with about 4,000 votes counted.
Proposition 3, a $2.75 million bond to improve trails and parks around town, was also passing with roughly 59 percent of the vote. It would install safety improvements and surface upgrades on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, as well as LED trail lighting and safety improvements at Kincaid Park. Prop 3 also covers improvements at the Cuddy Park playground and the Anchorage Veterans Memorial.
Proposition 4, a $1.58 million emergency-services and public-transportation bond, was passing with about 65 percent of the initial vote. It includes $520,000 to replace a city ambulance, as well as $640,000 to replace a leaking 30-year-old roof on the city’s transit maintenance building and $319,000 to replace and improve People Mover and AnchorRIDES buses, as well as support vehicles.
Proposition 6, which would amend a municipal definition of publishing to require that public notices be posted online rather than be published in major newspapers, was solidly passing with 67 percent of the vote.
Proposition 7 was also far ahead, passing with about 77 percent of the vote. If passed, it would grant a property-tax exemption on the first $150,000 of value for widows or widowers of U.S. soldiers killed in the line of duty.
