Don’t tie Juneau’s hands in an emergency

The past three years of Mendenhall River floods show why a property tax cap would hurt Juneau. When disaster struck, the city had the flexibility to step in and help. Without that, families and the whole community would have been left worse off.

We face other urgent challenges — housing and childcare shortages, homelessness, an overflowing landfill, tourism conflicts, the needs of an aging population, and aging water and sewer systems. Climate change will only bring more floods, landslides, and emergencies in the years ahead.

A rigid tax cap may sound appealing, but it would tie our hands when we most need to act. I haven't agreed with every Assembly decision, but they've led us responsibly through tough times over the past five years, and we've re-elected most of them.

For a strong, resilient Juneau, I'll be voting no on the tax cap — and I urge you to do the same.

Steve Behnke

Juneau