The Fairbanks Borough Assembly voted 8-1 on Feb. 1 to advance an ordinance, which, if approved by voters, would allow for a $10 million-dollar increase in additional borough taxes for the benefit of government-run schools. Assemblywoman Barbara Haney was the lone dissenting vote.

The vote to advance the ordinance means it was forwarded to a Special Finance Committee meeting on Feb. 8 to hash out additional details. After that, there will be a Special Assembly Meeting on Feb. 15 where the public can weigh in before the assembly takes a final vote.

As part of the ordinance, the Assembly is looking to spend $125,000 from its general fund in order to hold the special election on April 30.

Sponsored by Borough Mayor Bryce Ward and Assemblywoman Savannah Fletcher, the ordinance aims to ask borough residents if they would approve an increase to the tax cap so that the borough could tax residents an additional $10 million for its government-run schools.

According to the plan, taxes could be generated from “any sources,” including property, hotels, tobacco,  alcohol, marijuana and others. If added solely through property taxes, those owning a home worth $300,000 would be hit with an additional $300 in taxes.

Currently, the borough is under a voter-initiated and approved tax revenue cap, which limits how much the local government can tax residents. Ward’s plan would increase the cap to benefit public schools.

Mayor Ward is a strong advocate for the added taxation powers.

“I urge your approval of this ordinance and passing this question to the voters of the Fairbanks North Star Borough,” he stated in a memo about his plan.

Currently, the borough is under a voter-initiated and approved tax revenue cap, which limits how much the local government can tax residents. Ward’s plan would increase the cap to benefit public schools.

Over the past several years, the Fairbanks School Board has approved a litany of controversial classes, sex education programs and woke curriculum focused on critical race theory and the LGBTQ agenda. Due to a mass exodus of students, many of whom are now in homeschooling or private education, combined with inflation and unsustainable retirement and benefit packages for teacher and administrators, the school district claims it is facing a $28 million deficit for fiscal year 24-25.

During the past two years, the district has closed three schools, and laid off dozens of teachers with 80 more planned next year.

The proposed ordinance comes a time when left-leaning educational activists, teachers unions and district administrators are pressuring lawmakers to flood schools with hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funding with no strings attached regarding accountability or academic outcomes.

The Fairbanks ordinance does not define how schools would be able to use the additional $10 million, but it does state that the current tax cap should not “impose limitations to amounts that are needed for critical services such as public education.”

Last year, the assembly forked over four million dollars from borough savings to the school district. That money is no longer available.

TAKING ACTION

— Click here to contact Fairbanks Borough Assembly members.

— Click here to read the proposed ordinance.

— Click here for information on how to participate in the upcoming Feb. 15 special borough assembly meeting, which begins at 5:30 p.m. Public comments will be limited to three minutes per person.

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