The Mat-Su Borough has a packed special election set for July 12 when residents will decide on term limits for elected officials, tax reductions for seniors and veterans, and a proposed redistricting map.
June 12 is the last day to register to vote and early/absentee voting begins June 27. To vote absentee, voters must individually request a mail-in ballot. Unlike Anchorage, ballots are not automatically sent to every registered voter.
On election day, July 12, residents can vote in person at the polls from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The ballot asks voters whether they support four different propositions.
Proposition 1 deals with redistricting. After each federal census and adoption of a redistricting plan by the State Legislature, the Mat-Su Borough Assembly is required to propose to the voters a form of representation for the seven assembly districts. Click here to see the current and proposed district boundaries.
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Proposition 2 and Proposition 3 address term limits for the borough mayor and borough assembly members. Current borough code limits a person from serving as mayor to “no more than two consecutive full terms.” The same applies for the assembly. The code does not, however, restrict the total number of terms a person could serve in either of the two offices over the course of a lifetime. If voters pass Prop. 1 and Prop. 2 a person could only serve two terms as mayor and two terms on the assembly over the course of their life.
Proposition 4 would increase property tax exemption for property “owned and occupied as a permanent place of abode” by someone 65 years or older, disabled veterans, and widows and widowers of a person who was qualified for the exemption and who are at least 60 years old. If approved, the borough would increase the property exemption from the current $68,000 to $114,000. This is in addition to the $150,000 exemption already required by the state. The estimated cost to the borough for the additional exemptions would be $2.9 million.
TAKING ACTION
— Click here to read a sample ballot.
— Click here for all other voter information, including how to register.
— Click here to view election day polling locations.
2 Comments
We live out Palmer Fishhook and with the new boundaries would be in Assembly District 1, encompassing not only all the east side of the fishhook area but also appears to include part of Sutton and wraps around to include the butte. These areas are so different from each other with many varied issues and the new representation coverage will be all over the place. Fishhook is the fastest growing area in the valley and we are having a myriad of problems and issues as a result, completely different from far less populated Sutton and the butte.
I support term limits and the long lived Alaska seniors.
We need Term Limits for our swap in Juneau and the US house and senate in Washington DC too.