Anchorage voters will decide a handful of ballot and school bond propositions on the municipality's Apr. 3 election day.
Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan and Superintendent of Anchorage Schools Carol Comeau told a crowd at the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce's "Make it Monday" luncheon about what will be on this year's ballot.
Proposition 2, the Anchorage Road and Drainage Service area, costs $27,472,000. The bond includes sums ranging 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. For every $100,000 of assessed value, it has a property tax increase of $8.68.
Proposition 3, which costs $2,750,000 and means an increase of $0.79 for every $100,000 of assessed home value, would put in safety improvements and surface upgrades on the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail as well as LED trail lightening and safety improvements at Kincaid Park. There are also playground improvements at Cuddy Park and improvements at the Anchorage Veterans Memorial.
Proposition 4, for emergency medical services and public transportation, totals $1,588,000. Its main expenditures include $520,000 to replace a city ambulance, $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. If approved, it would increase property taxes $0.39 for every $100,000 of assessed value.
There is only one school bond, worth $59 million. It includes major projects like $23.8 million for building life-extension projects district-wide like fire alarm upgrades, roof replacements, mechanical and lightening upgrades, as well as $9.1 million for Service High School improvements.
Comeau said property taxpayers wouldn’t have to pay the entire school bond.
“The State of Alaska will pay 70 percent of the cost. So instead of taxpayers paying 100 percent out of our general fund, taking away from our instructional program, this is really better value for the taxpayers,” Comeau said.
Email Rebecca Palsha
