Haines tacks back to the center in local election

By BRENDA JOSEPHSON

Haines Borough voters supported change to more centrist leadership in the Oct. 1 municipal election, as well as a doubling the senior and disabled veteran property tax exemption to $300,000. 

Three Assembly seats were up for election, and unofficial election results indicate Cheryl D. Stickler as a clear winner, followed by Mark H. Smith and Richard Clement, each receiving more votes than incumbents Debra Schnabel, Natalie Dawson, and Haines newcomer Nora Zimmerly.

A canvass on Oct. 8 will count up to 41 questioned and absentee ballots, as there isn’t a clear winner in the second and third seats to be filled on the Assembly.

Support for change in this election cycle followed a tumultuous year in Haines that gained the attention of many residents due to the halting of a $25 million repair of Lutak Dock, the community’s freight dock.

Several years ago, an engineer’s report determined that the dock is at risk of catastrophic failure. To address the aging infrastructure, the local government spent the last decade holding workshops, public meetings, and securing funding for the necessary repairs. 

A federal MARAD grant secured funding for the project, along with matching contributions from the State of Alaska. The Planning Commission and the Ports and Harbors Advisory Board unanimously approved the project design. The project was then moved forward with the Assembly authorizing a contract with Turnagain Marine in February 2023, with an anticipated completion date in December 2024.

In October 2023, the election of three new Assembly members and a new mayor brought about a significant change in events. Once seated, they backed the promotion of a new, smaller dock design by Lynn Canal Conservation, a local conservation nonprofit.

At present, the Lutak Dock project is on hold, funding is pending, and Turnagain Marine has filed a claim against the Haines Borough for $9.3 million in liability due to project delays, disruptions, and cost escalations.

Additionally, Haines residents have voiced concern about a loss of $1.4 million in FEMA funding for Porcupine Road repairs and the high employee turnover in Haines Borough, which includes positions such as borough manager, borough clerk, police chief, facilities director, and planner. Several executive sessions during the last year have also raised transparency issues.

Voters also supported a citizens’ ballot measure to double the property tax exemption for seniors and disabled veterans from $150,000 to $300,000. Haines is currently in the process of updating processes for property assessments after the government failed to provide appellants with sufficient due process in 2023.

After two years of sharp increases in property assessments, the citizens placed this measure on the ballot. The initiative passed with 57% of the vote in support of the exemption increase.

Brenda Josephson is a Haines resident. She co-authored the white paper Restoring Public Trust: Legislative recommendations for Alaska’s Property Tax Assessment Process.