A sign welcomes visitors to Hoonah on Aug. 7, 2021 just outside the Icy Strait cruise ship port. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

A sign welcomes visitors to Hoonah on Aug. 7, 2021 just outside the Icy Strait cruise ship port. (James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

State commission approves new Xunaa Borough government in northern Southeast Alaska

Area would include Hoonah and much of Glacier Bay National Park, exclude three nearby small towns.

A five-member state commission has approved plans for a new local government centered on the Southeast Alaska town of Hoonah.

Approval sets the stage for a local election on the proposed Xunaa Borough. If voters approve the borough’s creation, Hoonah will be dissolved as a town and reincorporated as a city-borough with governmental authority over a wide swath of northern Southeast Alaska, including much of Glacier Bay National Park.

It would be the state’s 20th borough and the first new borough since the Southeast town of Petersburg created a city-borough in 2013.

The Local Boundary Commission approved plans for the proposed borough on a 3-2 vote Tuesday following hours of technical discussion.

“I believe that the best interest of the state, clearly, is to establish this borough, and I believe that the (legal) standards have all been met, including the boundaries,” said commissioner John Harrington, who cast the decisive vote.

Within 30 days, commission staff will draft a written report finalizing the commission’s recommendations. Once the commission adopts the report, the state will hold an election.

Voters are expected to approve the borough, in large part because the new borough excludes three neighboring communities — Gustavus, Tenakee Springs and Pelican — that have opposed the new borough.

That exclusion caused commission staff to recommend that the commission reject Hoonah’s plans as incompatible with state law, regulation and the Alaska Constitution.

Hoonah has attempted at least twice before to create a borough, and the Local Boundary Commission itself recommended the creation of a “Glacier Bay Borough” in 1992 to fulfill the Alaska Constitution’s requirement that all of the state be included in a borough, much as all parts of the Lower 48 are included in counties or county equivalents.

The borough’s operations would be funded by a local sales tax whose proceeds would principally come from the large tourist cruise ship port at Icy Strait Point, near Hoonah.

Commissioners Larry Wood and Clay Walker each voted against the proposed borough.

“The best interest of the state is to create greater economies of scale and greater efficiencies, and this proposal, while commendable in so many ways, doesn’t hit that target,” Walker said.

Because it excludes three small communities, there’s no consolidation of government services — such as school administration — that would make things more efficient, he explained.

Wood called the boundaries of the borough “the crux of this case” and said they were his principal reason for voting against the proposal.

Those two were outvoted by commissioners Harrington, Ely Cyrus and Clayton Trotter.

Trotter said he believes a borough makes sense and compared the three excluded communities as “crabs in a bucket” acting to pull down another crab, Hoonah, that was making moves to climb out of the bucket.

At Harrington’s suggestion, the commission voted unanimously to recommend that the new borough — if created by voters — negotiate with the three excluded communities on terms to incorporate them into the new borough as soon as possible.

• James Brooks is a longtime Alaska reporter, having previously worked at the Anchorage Daily News, Juneau Empire, Kodiak Mirror and Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. This article originally appeared online at alaskabeacon.com. Alaska Beacon, an affiliate of States Newsroom, is an independent, nonpartisan news organization focused on connecting Alaskans to their state government.

More in News

(Juneau Empire file photo)
Aurora forecast through the week of Nov. 17

These forecasts are courtesy of the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ Geophysical Institute… Continue reading

An aerial view of people standing near destroyed and damaged buildings in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene flooding on Oct. 8, 2024 in Bat Cave, North Carolina. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
Members of U.S. Senate back disaster aid request amid increasing storm severity

WASHINGTON — The Biden administration’s request for nearly $100 billion in natural… Continue reading

Media members and other observers gather at the Alaska Division of Elections office on Wednesday evening as the results of all ballots, including ranked choice tabulations, were announced. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Ranked choice voting repeal fails by 0.2%, Begich defeats Peltola 51.3%-48.7% on final day of counting

Tally released Wednesday night remains unofficial until Nov. 30 certification.

Looking through the dining room and reception area to the front door. The table will be covered with holiday treats during the afternoon open house. The Stickley slide table, when several extensions are added, provides comfortable seating for 22 dinner guests. (Laurie Craig / Juneau Empire)
The Governor’s House: Welcoming Alaskans for more than 100 years

Mansion has seen many updates to please occupants, but piano bought with first funds still playable.

The language of Ballot Measure 2 appears on Alaska’s 2024 absentee ballots. The measure would repeal the states open primary and ranked choice voting system. (Andrew Kitchenman/Alaska Beacon)
Count tightens to 45-vote margin for repealing Alaska’s ranked choice system going into final day

State Division of Elections scheduled to conduct final tally at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The drive-through of the Mendenhall Valley branch of True North Federal Credit Union, seen on June 13, is where a man was laying down when he was fatally struck by a truck during the early morning hours of June 1. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire file photo)
Police: Driver of CBJ truck not at fault in death of man struck in drive-through lane of bank

Victim laying on pavement during early-morning incident in June couldn’t be seen in time, JPD chief says.

Juneau Assembly members confer with city administrative leaders about details of a proposed resolution asking the state for more alcohol licenses during an Assembly meeting Monday night. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Petition seeking one-third expansion of alcohol-serving establishments gets Assembly OK

Request to state would allow 31 licensees in Juneau instead of 23; Assembly rejects increase to 43.

Noah Teshner (right) exhibits the physical impact military-grade flood barriers will have on properties with the help of other residents at a Juneau Assembly meeting on Monday night. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Locals protesting $8K payment for temporary flood barriers told rejection may endanger permanent fix

Feds providing barriers free, but more help in danger if locals won’t pay to install them, city manager says.

Low clouds hang over Kodiak’s St. Paul Harbor on Oct. 3, 2022. Economic woes in Alaska’s seafood industry have affected numerous fishing-dependent communities like Kodiak. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)
Dire condition of Alaska’s seafood industry has many causes and no easy fixes, experts say

Legislative task force charged with helping communities considering broad range of responses.

Most Read