Now that voters have spoken, it’s time to listen

By Angela Rodell

On Oct. 7, Juneau voters sent a clear message. They voted to eliminate sales tax on essential groceries and residential utilities. They voted to cap property tax for general government. And they voted to reject a new seasonal sales tax. In short, voters said: Stop balancing the city budget on the backs of working families. Live within your means. Focus on essentials. Right-size government.

That’s not a complicated message — it’s common sense. But it does mean we need to take a hard look at how the City and Borough of Juneau spends its money and what projects it continues to push. We need to ask whether our current capital priorities reflect the will of the people — or just the habits of government.

And sometimes, the hardest decision is the right one: to hit pause. To stop moving forward on projects that may have made sense just a few years ago but don’t fit the reality we’re living in now.

Take Telephone Hill.

It’s been labeled an “affordable housing” project, but the city plans to spend $9 million just on demolition and site preparation. That’s a huge sum for prime downtown land that could instead go on the open market and start generating property tax revenue for years to come. The previously proposed City Hall site — flat, accessible, near transit and services — would have been a much more logical place for housing. The public has already opposed the demolition with no firm plan on Telephone Hill. Maybe it’s time to stop spending and let this property become an economic asset instead of a financial burden.

Then there’s the parking garage near the North State Office Building. Before we build something new, we should ask: Who is this for? A walk through the State Office Building shows plenty of empty offices. Do we really need more parking when we don’t even know the demand? Where’s the data?

And what about the Capital Civic Center? The official price tag says $45 million, but we all know that number will grow. When it does, taxpayers will be asked to bail it out. There’s no clear plan to make it self-sustaining. Most residents I talk to don’t see this as a priority. It should come off the list — and any city funds already spent should go back into reserves. This is exactly the kind of project voters told us to rethink.

We also need a reality check on City Hall relocation. If we’re moving out of downtown, why haven’t we looked harder at existing city-owned properties — like recently vacated school buildings — before committing to the Burns building?

Fifth-generation Juneau resident Dave Hanna said it best: “Take a pause.” He’s right. Juneau is changing. The economy is shifting. New opportunities are emerging. We shouldn’t be afraid to slow down, reassess, and adjust course.

And while we’re asking tough questions, let’s remember the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation’s recent decisions. No one publicly discussed whether a city move into the Burns building might accelerate APFC’s shift to Anchorage — or how the lack of parking affects both employees and the public. A right-sized, disciplined government would be asking those questions up front.

The same principle applies to the operating budget. According to CBJ’s 2024 comprehensive annual financial report, the city has added 39 full-time staff since 2020 — an 8% increase — even as our population has declined by more than 1%. When revenues and population are trending down, we should be asking tougher questions before expanding payrolls or programs.

That includes reviewing every sales tax exemption, streamlining permitting, and jump-starting long-stalled economic development opportunities — like the Huna Totem project, Pioneer Road on North Douglas, and new partnerships with Goldbelt.

And when we fund partnerships, we need accountability. If we dedicate significant resources to homelessness, we should see fewer people on the street. If we invest in economic development, we should see new jobs and a growing tax base. Simply increasing agency budgets isn’t progress — it’s just spending.

This isn’t about saying no to everything. It’s about saying yes to the right things. Voters already told us what matters: Protect affordability. Focus on essentials. Grow the economy. Live within our means.

Juneau has the people, the land, and the potential to flourish. But we can’t get there unless our priorities — and our budget — match the values voters just reaffirmed at the ballot box.

Juneau spoke clearly. Now it’s time to listen.

• Angela Rodell is the treasurer of the Affordable Juneau Coalition.