On Oct. 6, 1986, Juneau voters prepared for the upcoming municipal election. Voter turnout was expected to be slightly less than the year before, when about 8,000 votes were cast. Almost 17,000 Juneau residents were registered to vote at the time.
Seven of the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly members held a private meeting at the mayor’s house to discuss Chuck Keen’s Alaska Trams Inc. project. Although Mayor Ernie Polley did not intend to discuss Assembly business at the meeting, the meeting still may not have been legal. Under state law, any gathering of two or more Assembly members to discuss city and borough business must send a reasonable notice of three days before the meeting takes place.
Meanwhile, some Alaskans became outraged after learning that Gov. Bill Sheffield put some of his aides during his Democratic Primary re-election campaign in high-paying positions, despite the hiring freeze of state agencies that started last spring.
“This Day in Juneau History” is compiled by Empire freelancer Tasha Elizarde, who sums up the day’s events — 30 years ago — by perusing Empire archives.
