Voters in Juneau, Alaska, will decide on three ballot measures on Oct. 1, including two bond measures and an initiative that would ban cruise ships in the city on Saturdays.
Proposition 2, an initiative sponsored by Ship-Free Saturdays, would ban cruise ships with 250 passengers or more from docking, mooring, or disembarking passengers in Juneau on Saturdays and on July 4.
To get an initiative on the ballot in Juneau, 2,359 valid signatures were required. On July 1, 2024, the municipal clerk’s office verified that proponents had submitted 2,493 valid signatures and qualified for the ballot.
Ship-Free Saturdays said, “We believe Ship-Free Saturdays will bring the community together and enable Juneauites to enjoy the reasons we live here: the opportunity to fish and boat, hike pristine trails, and gather with friends and family without the stress of thousands of cruise passengers, traffic jams, and helicopter noise, for one day each week.”
Karla Hart, a sponsor of the initiative, said, “I think it says that Juneau really seriously wants some hard stops on cruise industry impacts in their lives and that they haven’t received that from the city Assembly. And that they don’t think that those hard stops are coming unless citizens take action.”
Protect Juneau’s Future, the campaign opposing the initiative, said, “Banning cruise ships on Saturdays threatens many local jobs and will cost Juneau $30 million in lost spending and $3.7 million in sales tax revenue, which funds essential services like education and public safety. Local businesses, shops, restaurants and service providers rely on visitor spending, especially on weekends, to stay open and support year-round employment. The ban would hurt our neighbors and reduce the economic stability of Juneau families.”
Opponents of the initiative include the Alaska Travel Industry Association, Greater Juneau Chamber of Commerce, Juneau Central Labor Council, Alaska Seaplanes, and Royal Caribbean Group, and Bartlett Regional Hospital.
The other measures on the ballot are Propositions 1 and 3. Proposition 1 would issue $12.75 million in general obligation bonds for certain public safety improvements, including a replacement radio communication system, and enact an annual property tax of approximately $23.50 per $100,000 of assessed value to pay for the bond. Proposition 3 would issue $10 million in general obligation bonds for wastewater utility infrastructure improvements and enact an annual property tax of approximately $18.48 per $100,000 of assessed value to pay for the bond.
In 2024, Ballotpedia is covering local ballot measures that appear on the ballot for voters within the 100 largest cities in the U.S., within state capitals, and throughout California. You can review the coverage scope of the local ballot measures project here. In 2024, the project’s scope includes Anchorage and Juneau.
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