Supporters turn in 3,231 signatures Friday, of which 2,566 need to be verified for proposal to appear on fall ballot; second petition to raise mill rate cap has June 17 signature deadline

By Mark Sabbatini

Juneau Independent

Organizers of an initiative petition to impose a 1% sales tax between April 1 and Sept. 30 turned in 3,231 signatures on Friday, which are now being verified to determine if there are enough valid names to put the proposal on the fall municipal election ballot, according to the city clerk’s office.

A total of 2,566 certified signatures from registered voters — one-fourth the total votes in the most recent municipal election — are needed to qualify the measure for the Oct. 6 election, according to a notice published Saturday by the clerk’s office.

The clerk’s office has 10 days to review signatures. If there are not enough signatures, the petitioners have an additional 10 days to gather additional signatures to meet the minimum.

Michael Cole, listed as the lead petitioner on the 1% initiative, said in an interview Monday that city officials suggested organizers get at least a few hundred extra signatures beyond the minimum as a safety buffer, and he is optimistic about the likelihood of the measure qualifying for the ballot.

"I'm just glad to be done for a while," he said. "There’s time to breathe for a few seconds. Signature gathering is definitely not that easy of a task. I've never done it before and I was nervous going into it, having never done it, and it was a steep learning curve. But when things are all said and done we're pretty stoked to be where we are."

The petition seeks to undo some of the impact of two tax cuts passed by voters last year — lowering the cap on property taxes and exempting food/utilities from the city’s 5% year-round sales tax — which are expected to result in up to $12 million in lost revenue.

The seasonal sales tax is projected to generate $6.9 million during the six months it’s in effect, according to Angie Flick, budget director for the City and Borough of Juneau.

A second petition now circulating is seeking to undo the lower cap on property taxes, restoring it to 12 mills instead of nine. Organizers of that petition have until June 17 to turn in their signatures, according to the clerk’s office.

The fate of those measures could affect whether city leaders put two bond measures — for $16 million in school projects and $9.4 million in utility upgrades — on the ballot.

Assembly members last week voted to introduce ordinances for both on Monday, which would then need final approval by their July 27 meeting. But some members said they are concerned about asking voters to approve too many revenue increases during a single election cycle.

• Contact Mark Sabbatini at editor@juneauindependent.com or (907) 957-2306.