ALLIANCE
OF CONCERNED TAXPAYERS (ACT)
NEWS
RELEASE
For
Immediate Release:
The
Alliance of Concerned Taxpayers (ACT)
recently filed their capital projects
spending cap initiative petitions with the
Kenai Peninsula Borough Clerk’s office.
Once the Borough Clerk has certified this
initiative it will become a ballot
proposition.
If
approved by voters in the October 2005
municipal election, this ballot proposition
will lower the assembly spending limit for
capital projects from $1.5 to $1 million and
require a 60% voter approval for any capital
project with a total cost of more than $1
million.
Soldotna, Alaska (August 1, 2005)
–The Borough Clerk has notified initiative
sponsors by telephone that the required
1,530 voter signatures have been verified.
The borough has until August 9 to certify
the petition. Once the initiative has been
officially certified it will become a ballot
proposition in the October 2005 municipal
election.
“When people were told what this initiative
would do, most were happy to sign. They
thought it made perfect sense for taxpayers
to have more say about what gets built since
we are responsible for paying the bills.
Even skeptics would sign once they heard
about the results of a similar initiative in
Nikiski last year where taxpayers saved
about $1 million in one project alone.
That’s a big savings for a small service
area. Just imagine what it could be at the
borough level”, said Fred Sturman the
Initiative Alternate Sponsor.
This ACT capital projects initiative was
filed after the assembly decided to build a
multi-million dollar facility in downtown
Soldotna to house CES Administration, 911
Dispatchers and the borough’s Emergency
Operations Manager. ACT members failed to
convince assembly members to occupy
underutilized or empty borough buildings, or
the purpose built emergency command center
on the second floor of the PRISM building in
Kenai to house the 911 Dispatch and
Emergency Operations Manager. The assembly
was determined to spend the money even if it
meant increasing taxes later to pay
operational cost for their new building.
“By using grant money for large capital
projects the assembly has been able to mask
the true cost of their projects. The nice
thing about an initiative petition is that
it re-engages the public in the
decision-making process. It gives voters a
stake in the outcome”, said Ruby Kime, the
Initiative Prime Sponsor.
“The initiative approved by voters in
Nikiski last year is a classic example of
why the assembly’s capital projects spending
limit should be lowered”, explained Vicki
Pate, ACT Vice President. “In that case the
North Peninsula Recreation Service Area
wanted to spend over $1 million for upgrades
to the old Nikiski Elementary School so they
could operate a community center in the
building. Voters agreed by a wide margin to
lower the NPRSA limit on capital projects to
$500 thousand. The NPRSA Board didn’t want
to go back to voters for over $1 million for
this project and found a way to utilize all
the rooms they originally wanted for about
$50 thousand. Nikiski now has a community
center and the taxpayers saved about $1
million. This is a win-win situation that
could work throughout the Kenai Peninsula
Borough if this ballot proposition is
approved in October”, Pate continued.
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