Why I’m voting yes on Props A, B, C

Signs at City Hall during early voting in the 2025 municipal election. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

By Shannon Mason

I grew up in Juneau. I learned to ski at Eaglecrest, swim at Augustus Brown, skate at Treadwell Arena, and our Southeast Alaska ecosystems by walking our trails. These are the public spaces that make this community feel like home.

As an adult, I’ve chosen to build my life here, too. I went to college in New York City and, after watching my college friends stay in New York or head to San Francisco or Chicago or even Seattle, decided to return after graduation — because for me, home is someplace truly remarkable.

That is why I’m voting yes on Propositions A, B and C this October.

I know asking people to vote for taxes isn’t the easiest message. Nobody gets excited about paying more. But we also have to be honest about the other side of that equation: the community we want — the special place we choose to live—costs money to maintain, and choosing not to invest has consequences, too.

For me, these three propositions are ultimately about what kind of Juneau we want to call home in five, 10 and 20 years.

Proposition A is about maintaining the basics.

Prop A extends Juneau's existing temporary 3% sales tax for another five years. This is not a new tax. It's an extension of a revenue source our community already relies on to fund police, fire, and ambulance services; snow removal; roads and drainage; parks and libraries; infrastructure; capital projects; and other essential services.

Those aren't luxuries. They're the basic functions we expect from the community we live in.

If we allow that revenue to disappear, our need for firefighters doesn't disappear with it. Snow still has to be plowed. Roads still need to be maintained. Emergencies still happen.

Proposition B is about giving Juneau flexibility.

I think this proposition may also be the easiest to misunderstand.

Prop B restores the municipal property-tax mill-rate cap from nine mills to 12 mills. Voting yes does not automatically increase the property-tax rate to 12 mills. Instead, it gives current and future Assemblies more flexibility to respond to financial challenges, emergencies, or budget shortfalls rather than being locked under the existing nine-mill cap.

That distinction matters. We've already seen how quickly circumstances can change in our community. I would rather give locally elected leaders the tools to respond to those challenges while continuing to hold them accountable for their decisions than artificially limit the options available to them.

And Proposition C is the one that hits closest to home for me.

Prop C creates a permanent 1% seasonal sales tax, collected from April through September, dedicated specifically to indoor and outdoor recreation. Because it is collected during our busiest visitor season, tourism spending will help support the recreational facilities and opportunities that residents enjoy year-round.

I strongly believe recreation is not an "extra" in Juneau. It's our trails. It's our pools, parks and fields. It's where kids grow up, where families spend time together, and where many of us build the friendships and experiences that make Juneau feel like home.

Our community talks constantly about how difficult it is to attract and retain workers, keep young people in Juneau, and encourage families to put down roots here. Housing and the cost of living are obviously pieces of that puzzle, but so is quality of life.

My generation has benefited from Juneau residents who invested in this community before I was old enough to vote. These voters built and maintained places that became part of my childhood without knowing who I would be or whether I would stay here. Now it's my turn to make that choice for those who come after me.

I want Juneau to be safe. I want reliable emergency services and maintained infrastructure. I want us to respond when our community faces emergencies or difficult financial circumstances. And I want the next generation of Juneau kids to grow up with the same incredible access to recreation that helped make me love this place.

But at the end of the day, this election asks us to choose the kind of community we want to live in. I choose a Juneau that invests in itself. I choose a Juneau where families want to stay, workers want to build careers, and businesses want to grow.

Juneau is worth investing in. That's why I'm voting yes this October: yes on A, yes on B, and yes on C.

• Shannon Mason is the campaign manager for Juneau Yes, an advocacy group favoring all three ballot measures in Juneau’s Oct. 6 municipal election. She is also the political director for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins.