Juneau’s special 1 percent sales tax is expected to raise $44.8 million over five years.
The five-year projection anticipates 2.5 percent to 3 percent growth.
City and Borough of Juneau department representatives presented dozens of ways to spend the tax funds to the Assembly Finance Committee on Wednesday.
Capital Transit asked for $6.2 million for additions and renovations of its operations and maintenance facility. Transit occupied the building in 1985, when it was a decade old.
Requests include $1.85 million for the addition of a six-bus storage bay and $850,000 for replacement of the current facility’s heating system. Transit owns 18 busses, which carry 1.25 million riders a year.
Public Works requested $1.4 million for upgrades to the facility’s metal exterior envelope and $900,000 in total requests for renovations to the facility’s administration and maintenance areas.
The proposal also included a request of $800,000 for electronic fare boxes, Capital Transit’s fifth priority.
The boxes wouldn’t allow for smart cards like Anchorage.
“But it gets us close,” John Kern, Transit Superintendent said.
Docks and Harbors is requesting $7 million for the Aurora Harbor rebuild and an additional $2.3 million for improvements to the Auke Bay boat haul-out facility.
Aurora Harbor is beyond repair, Kevin Jardell Docks and Harbors board chairman, said
“Aurora Harbor needs a rebuild,” Jardell said. The city can’t continue to fix the facility piecemeal, he said. “It is past its useful life and it is a valuable public resource.”
Phase 2 of the Aurora Harbor project consists of replacing five floats. Jardell said Docks and Harbors could scale the project, he said.
“We need to get these things done,” Jardell said.
Proposed upgrades to Auke Bay would include a new boat haul out and kayak launch ramp at Statter Harbor and allow the city to use its new 45-ton hydraulic lift.
“We can complete this, we can put the hydraulic lift into full service,” Jardell said.
Parks and Recreation Department requested $4.71 million for upgrades and additions to its parks and trails. The funds requested would provide for 20 projects scattered around the Mendenhall Valley, downtown Juneau and north and south Douglas Island.
Finance Committee Member Karen Crane said constituents tell her Juneau off-road vehicle users want a facility in Juneau.
”They want a place to go now,” Crane said.
With funding, the project could start as early as the summer of 2013, city staff said.
Mayor Bruce Botelho asked if the $25,000 request for the project would be enough. Parks and Recreation originally requested $150,000.
Parks and Recreation also asked for $550,000 to complete upgrades at Cope Park. These would include new safety features and would designate off leash dog areas.
The department requested $250,000 for work on Marine Park and $175,000 to establish a formal community garden and increase the safety of Chicken Yard Park.
If approved, $300,000 would go to improve Twin Lakes Park. Dimond Park would receive two new score boards and a restroom and concession facilities for $650,000.
Treadwell Ditch trail on Douglas Island could see $150,000 in upgrades including nine new bridges — one being a 50-foot bridge across Paris Creek.
The city plans to contract Trail Mix to conduct the trail upgrades.
Parks and Recreation also requested $4.78 million for projects to recreational facilities.
Proposed projects include $3.72 million to repair Centennial Hall’s 30-year-old roof and $600,000 to replace the Juneau-Douglas City Museum’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system. The museum’s current system does not manage humidity, endangering the collection, city staff said.
Eaglecrest Ski Area asked for $6.2 million for several stages of growth at the snow sports mountain, according to Eaglecrest’s proposal.
Matt Lillard, Eaglecrest’s general manager, said the cornerstone of this proposal is a $3.8 million learning center.
Eaglecrest’s current facility is not up to industry standards, Lillard said. Two new lifts have increased users to the mountain and new space is needed to accommodate them, he said.
“We can expand rental and repair,” Lillard said. “And most importantly it opens up a lot of space at the main lodge to repurpose. We would like to double our capacity.”
The Finance Committee did not make a decision on funding Wednesday night.
“This is one of the most momentous decisions the Finance Committee will make,” Mayor Bruce Botelho said.
The committee informally set the date of its next meeting for June 27.
• Contact reporter Russell Stigall at 523-2276 or at russell.stigall@juneauempire.com.
Comments (55)
Add commentSPEND SPEND SPEND SPEND
Just keep spending, they'll make more!
Dump the 1%!
CBJ needs to realize the difference between needs and wants. The temporary tax is all about fluff as this article clearly depicts.
If you levy it, they will spend.
Stop calling it temporary
I have lived here a long time and the "temporary" 1% sales tax has always been extended to fund wants and budget shortfalls. Stop calling it temporary because I cannot remember a time in the last 20 years that the sales tax in Juneau was not 5% - period.
Increase the 1% to 3%
During the tourist season. Then eliminate it during the rest of the year.
Justification
All of these requests are for capital improvements. The city should have a budget for these projects, albeit not all at once; and a long-term planning process to prioritize and forecast. Were all these projects on the table during the annual budget process? I'm concerned that a 1% tax was suggested, numbers were crunched and the City Manager solicited requests from Department Heads for wish lists. If Juneau's operating budget was in the black, I could see this process justifed. I could be infering a lot by lack of city management understanding. This article doesn't help. I also agree with Irish...it will not be a temporary tax. Give them money and they will spend.
Next time it is
on the ballot I am voting NO on the sales tax and I will remember the sitting Assembly members that continue to allocate our funds to this fluff stuff.
When Eaglecrest has a banner year of snowfall and continues to cater solely to skiers instead of all user groups (tourism in the summer, snowmachiners after the season closes) that are willing to pay money for access, they don't need another nickel of subsidy money, period.
This town needs a wake up call and with Bruce Botelho finally leaving his mark in history as a spendthrift Mayor that was against economic growth and resource development, improved transportation (ROADS), I hope we can get on track to improve our economy, bond rating, and build our infrastructure. We are losing our population, our youth, and we need to change course NOW.
Parks and Rec is overstaffed, the JAC needs to stand on its own feet, we have opportunities to good things with our tax dollars, we just need to get realistic about it....just saying....
Fluff? Granted, some of what
Fluff? Granted, some of what is on the list would be things that are usually handled in the private sector (atv park), but have you taken the time to look at the condition our parks and CBJ buildings are in? Centennial Hall was built 30 years ago and has had virtually no renovations during this time. The plumbing in that building is a horrible mess and the electrical didn't even meet the needs back when it was opened. The roof is just an accident waiting to happen. You should also try using a restroom at our parks. Right now, the only park with decent restroom facilities is Cope Park, and that's because it got a new outbuilding a couple of years ago. Other than that, just about everything is portapotties that CBJ has to buy every time they get burned down, in addition to the heavy servicing costs.
These are largely maintenance items that should have been dealt with years ago.
Exempt Food From Sales Tax
We need to exempt food from the sales tax.
Wish list
Some of this does seem like a "dream" list.
Since it is taxpayer money, they should publish a list of proposed projects online and let the public prioritize what we want. Centennial Hall, sure, museum, sure...
Trying to justify some if these proposals in a city with declining population is not smart.
Agree
I agree with almost all of these comments. Taxes should only be for necessities. Clearly CBJ is putting together a wish list here, and one of the main goals is to make sure the tax stays in place by putting in a project for every constituency. I recall that when the new police station was decided voters were told that once the police station was completed and paid for the extra "temporary" sales tax would go away.
I agree with Latitude; a seasonal sales tax makes the most sense for a tourist town. Also, taxing food sold in grocery stores, and taxing fuel oil and utilities is too much.
Sadly, there are many Juneau voters who vote for the sales tax believing that if they don't do so their property taxes will rise. CBJ management has the Assembly over a barrel and they believe voters are also over a barrel. The only sales tax increment I can recall being voted down was the vote on the redundant crossing.
Many people say that they don't trust CBJ government. I always say that city government can be trusted to screw us!
Note that Amazon, LL Bean, Macys and other mail order vendors charge no sales tax. Most offer free shipping and some even offer free return shipping if the purchaser doesn't like the item for any reason. The Look Local First movement is defeated by the sales tax. Why does Juneau need a sales tax but Anchorage not only has no sales tax but Anchorage reduced their property tax mill rate this spring?
Guru
Maintenance items then become deferred maintenance items if they are not fixed during the fiscal year they are reported and all should be addressed annually in the operating budget. A roof replacement is a capital project and should be PLANNED for using Condition and Lifecycle Analysis - and properly forecasted in the operating capital budget. Eaglecrest improvements should be made if their revenues exceed their operating expenses, and only use the profits. Then the city could dedicate a fund to place these profits for future expansion.
If it comes up for vote every five years...
...it is temporary. They call it temporary. Subject to renewal by the voters. However, the author begins this piece calling it Juneau's "special" 1% sales tax. CBJ would love that. But once it gets permanent status they'll just push an additional temporary tax. This city needs a reality check. Even if for only one ballot cycle. They, like you Irish Eyes, already consider it permanent. I'll keep voting against it and campaigning against it as long as it is still TEMPORARY. Join me in insisting that CBJ lives within it's means. Or just keep enabling their addiction.
30year, if you want to use
30year, if you want to use that rule for Eaglecrest, why not for every other park facility? Use that rule and we'll never see any imporovements or mainenance on any of our parks. Ever!
Stupid is as stupid does
Stupid is as stupid does. We as citizens and voters have no one to blame but ourselves for continuing to elect tax and spend fiscal idiots who typically promote unnecessary spending and budgetary irresponsibility . Looking back at the past twenty years how many times have we the had the opportunity to NOT approve the "temporary" sales tax? How many times have we had the opportunity to elect fiscally prudent stewards of our tax dollars to the assembly? How many missed opportunities has our community had to say enough is enough? We the people are ultimately responsible for the actions of our government. We are only reaping what we have sowed.
Many of these should be paid by users
I don't understand many of these expenses coming from the "temporary" sales tax. For instance, why isn't Capital Transit paying for their facilities out of the fare they collect? Centennial Hall charges for its use, but does not save for the new roof it knows it will need? Even condo associations know they need to save for eventual repairs. Docks and Harbors, you collect money from the users, why not use it on the harbor improvements? D&H you increased launch permit fees from $25 to well over $100, those funds should be building the new launch in Auke Bay, not sales tax. All those department heads that requested funding from sales tax because they haven't been doing their job should join the ranks of unemployed!
I also want to commend the person who brings up sales tax on food and how that is a crime against humanity!
Stop taxing food
Juneau, we really need to stop taxing food!
Raise tobacco taxes
My solution:
1. Raise tobacco taxes $2/pack.
2. Enforce the $200 fine for cigarette butts.
3. Consider making Eaglecrest an ATV park in summer.
4. Consider casinos. Make Juneau a 12-month tourist destination instead of just 4-month.
Dump the 1% and the undedicated 3%.
Way back when, the additonal 3% was dedicated to certain items: roads, sewers, and public safety. (If I remember correctly) Then one time CBJ dropped the dedicated line from the ballot... Now it is a slush fund...
All harbor improvementts should be coming out of their enterprise fund.
Eaglecrest, Centennial Hall, Capital Transit, and Parks and Rec should get head tax money.
Centennial Hall and
Centennial Hall and Eaglecrest could never charge enough to pay for themselves. You truly get what you pay for at the Hall. It's a run down building that you could never charge a fee that would actually pay for the facility. Add to that all of the renovations, remodels, upgrades that have happened in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Seward, Homer, etc., and Juneau is lucky to get the meeting groups that we're getting now. Putting these repairs and renovation to the facility off any longer is only going to put Juneau further down on the list of potential meeting destinations. I don't understand this reluctance to renovate that building to current standards. It is one of the few things the City owns that generates new revenue.
The temporary tax
Is a backhanded slush fund. Not that all the projects aren't worthy in their own right but it seems we should call it what it is....a city grant fund that is not temporary. When I went to vote it was for hospital improvements...before that a police station. Kinda misleading.
I get that calling it temporary allows us to re-evaulate periodically but there's got to be a honest way to label it so we know if we want to support it.
Repeat...sorry. (she blushes)
Repeat...sorry. (she blushes)
Passenger fee money for
Passenger fee money for Eaglecrest?
@bfleutsch
When you ran for Mayor, I believe part of your campaign was to increase the sales tax to 10 or 12% on non-essentials and eliminate the tax on food, heating oil and electricity. I really liked that idea. It goes along with Lat's suggestion of raising the sales tax in the summer - although I prefer the former because the latter makes Juneau appear unfriendly to our visitors. If we all have to pay the same sales tax on nonessential items like eating out and personal items than we're distributing the burden fairly.
gmpatton is right - it gets tiresome to see/read all the finger pointing and blame at the Assembly and the City but no mention of the responsibility of the voters who actually put the tax (and the Assembly members) in place. I, for one, am willing to pay a higher sales tax if it means our parks are well-maintained and Eaglecrest remains open to skiing and summer hiking. Perhaps those that want a place to ATV and snowmachine should form a user group and get on the ballot for a portion of the sales tax to support their desires.
MamaT
what is dishonest about the way it is put on the ballot? if you knew the temporary tax was for the hospital and that's what it said on the ballot, are you saying that the tax did not go to the intended recipient? do you have some citations for that?
my understanding is that the funds are dedicated because they list on the ballot measure what the 1% tax will pay for. if they're not doing that, i'm guessing they'd be facing a lawsuit ...
El Boorba
I can see the justification for Parks and Rec and Capital Transit to get head tax money. Not sure why Eaglecrest and Centennial Hall would do so ... can you give me some more info please?
Spiff, I think Centennial
Spiff, I think Centennial Hall can get some funding from the passenger fees because the hall is designated as a FEMA emergency shelter (or something like that).
Eaglecrest!
It's for tourists! I know it is a reach, but...
Maybe we should start using head tax money to keep EC open through April?
Maybe keep the lift open through summer?
akbrdguru is right on CH being the emergency shelter. If a cruise ship goes down, we would put people in there.
Stop whining
JUNEAU is a wonderful place to live because we have all these amenities. We pay very little tax here and have more benefits than other cities could ever hope for. If you want to live in a dump then move to Fairbanks. Or move down south and pay way more in taxes and get very little. Wake up and be grateful!
Link to last Prop...
http://www.juneau.org/clerk/elections/documents/Ord2011-17-Final-Three_P...
Read and weep... "[Good stuff] and other general purposes..."; "[Good stuff] and other capital improvements..." and "[Good stuff] and other general public services."
Basically the Assembly can spend the sales tax on whatever they want.
Stipulation
Eaglecrest does not deserve a cent until it respects the original "multiple use" intent, and grants a snow machine access corridor. Without this, the expenditures are nothing more than a subsidization for chanting SEACCers.