Michael Tavoliero: Now is the time for Eagle River to exit

1. You’re not getting property taxes from JBER. So…sales taxes. Looks like you’re hiding the ball…just like Boris “Brexit” Johnson.

   • Sophie, with a small government structure (no equity officer for instance) and local decisions that work for a smaller community, there is less need for high taxes. As for Brexit, the EU was a cluster bomb from the start and I applaud the Brits for getting themselves extricated from their Brussel’s overlords.

2. EagleExit “It is designed to discuss the question of local government formation, the foundation of liberty in local government, and the expectation of what results the residents want to see in their new local government.” You didn’t explain any of these three concerns with specifics. Long on complaint and long on statements about freedom, but short of how exactly it would occur.

   • Curious if you choose not to participate, how can you draw such a conclusion?

     • Not sure what you mean.

     • I’m not sure what you mean.

       • Echo, echo.

3. Matsu should annex District 2. The cost would be less than creating a separate municipal government from scratch and there is a lot of philosophical alignment between the two. I am in favor of leaving the MOA, but creating another government entity is hard for me to support.

   • Hey that’s an idea, however to be our own entity like Palmer and Wasilla, would still require setting up a city council and we would be stuck with another layer of bureaucracy from the borough.

     • I just want the best deal for us. Unless we evaluate alternative(s), we won’t know if we are getting the best deal for us.
       K-12 is a big cost. Should D12 build a stand-alone school system, or would MSB be as good or better and cost less? Inquiring minds need to know.

   • That’s pretty much how I feel. I think it probably makes more sense to join them than to try to recreate all the services and infrastructure on our own from scratch.

   • What about purchasing all the MOA infrastructure? You could even afford to inherited the outstanding bond debt. Pipe dream.

4. It’s past time.

5. Based. I cannot wait for this measure to moved to the electorate. I remember when the first EagleExit article was published in ADN a few years ago. The article comments all kept repeating that Eagle River was racist, too white, and a combination of wanting to install highway barriers on the Glenn/highway tolls.
   Like east Germans, Anchorage lefties cannot decide whether they want to seal off their socialist paradise to free movement or ransom travel to sustain their unsustainable programs.

   • It has nothing to do with travel and all about the 65,000 cars a day that come into Anchorage to earn their living. Then leave without contributing a dime.

     • Most of the commuters who work in Anchorage purchase gas, food and other commodities while spending their work day in Anchorage and therefore contribute to a community they dont live in. Your comment is therefore baseless.

     • That’s actually not true. Most people from the valley that commute to Anchorage shop in Anchorage because Anchorage doesn’t have a sales tax and the valley does.

       • As a valley resident I can tell you that’s not true. I shop in Anchorage because there are things I can’t get in the Valley period. You think I’m going to drive 40 miles to save 2.5% on a gallon of milk? No. Now if I have to go to store we don’t have in the valley to buy things, then yes I shop in town but don’t make it sound like we drive 49 miles to save a nickel. When you choose to live in the Valley you accept that you pay sales tax for most things if you are in the tax zone, it’s just part of weighing the options…Bigger house, more property, sales tax and more mileage on your car is part of the benefit / cost analysis.

     • Chugiak and Eagle River residents pay property taxes to the MOA and often shop (and used to dine out) in Anchorage. I would say they contribute a lot of dimes.

   • The racists took Eagle River over and ruined it. So, yeah — go and leave us alone. Make sure and take your business to the Valley, too. Birds of racist feathers should flock together. Maybe Rep. Eastman will invite you to an Oathkeepers meeting since he’s a lifetime member (thank an Anonymous hack for that info).

     • I’m genuinely curious what your basis is that Eagle River is a racist community, if you care to share your evidence or reasoning.

       • Thanks, Dee. I’m curious as well.

     • And you win the day for the dumbest comment. You automatically assume that because we vote republican we’re racist, but you know what they say about assume …

6. Hey Michael Tavoliero, your politics are loser politics … you are too biased. And oppositional. So much so, you can’t persuade a sep. $1, even odds, two years to 29 Oct 23

7. Step 1, dump ER and Chugiak. Step 2, install a toll so everyone who comes to my town to work has to contribute to the infrastructure. This Includes the 65k cars from Mat-Su. The time to start is now! Thank You Michael for all your hard work.

   • …and here come the road taxes on state highways poster.

   • Problem Brian MOA doesn’t own the Glenn Highway and your assembly in Anchorage can’t just invoke a toll on a state road. And us commuters already contribute in the form of fuel taxes, vehicle registration taxes, and FICA which is used for federal highway taxes which the state gets to help maintain that road.

     We also shop and buy gas in the muni, I say we contribute just fine, sorry the details escape your attention

     • Did I say put a toll on the Glenn? I know this road is owned by the state. This problem occurs all over the country and municipalities have solutions. State fuel (which are lowest in USA) taxes go to the state. We have no sales tax in Anchorage like you do in Mar-Su. Guessing why you shop here. Any other empty ideas?

       • Brian, so you do NOT want people to shop in Anchorage?? I am pretty sure that all the local retailers are not happy with your suggestion. One would assume that more commerce brings more retailers, an increase in commercial property and the associated tax base. I would further like to point out that you started the empty idea saga with your toll idea.
         I have always been in favor of a sales tax instead of property taxes. Sales tax more evenly distributes the tax burden to all and incentivizes residents to keep better tract of how their money is spent by their government.

       • Well, certain things we dont have in the valley so I buy in Anchorage, things I need in the valley and I can get I procure in the Valley. Thats how economics and supply & demand works. Don’t get pissy because I called you on your post that said and I quote

         ” Step 2, install a toll so everyone who comes to my town to work has to contribute to the infrastructure.”

         Those were your words not mine.

   • Thank you for supporting EaglExit! Can we count on your contribution towards this effort? Sadly the Glenn Hwy is a state road. Maybe you will finally build the bridge, just to spite Eagle River…

     • Brian, the municipality passed a 10 cent per gallon fuel tax some time ago under Mayor Berkowitz. I believe it’s been in effect for two years or more.

8. I’m definitely interested in hearing more and looking into this proposal.
   I really wish you would left contact information, such as a website or meetings information so I know where to look.

   • “https://eaglexit.com/”

9. Correction, Michael: Now is the LONG OVERDUE time for Eagle River to exit!
   .
   Eagle River and Chugiak should NEVER have become or been or a part of Los Anchorage, aka North San Francisco. Pleas, get us the Hell OUT of the stinking, swirling, ever-growing cesspool of ‘woke’ Marxist insanity that Los Anchorage has become!

   • Ditto!

   • “………Eagle River and Chugiak should NEVER have become or been or a part of Los Anchorage, aka North San Francisco……..”
     Don’t forget Girdwood. They’ve already chosen to contract with Whittier police instead of Anchorage when the Troopers dumped them, which is a fun political trick that has gotten old in this state. I remember 1975 when the Anchorage Borough bulldozed Girdwood and Eagle River during muni conversion. Do you have enough political capital to break free today? I guess we’ll see. I sure am glad to be Valley Trash, and I hate seeing the Los Anchorage elitism converting us into the next urban cesspool.

10. But you are all missing the most important thing. EagleExit is a colossal waste of time. IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN. I agree leaving the comies of Anchorage is a good idea, but unless you can switch the Assembly to a conservative majority, it will never be allowed. Then again, if you had a conservative majority (which is an impossibility with the increase of liberal idiots and the exit of conservatives to the valley) why would you want to leave? It’s a catch 22 and will never happen even if every voter, dog, cat, and child were 100% on board with it in Eagle River….. Don’t get your hopes up and don’t waste your time.

    • JJ, no matter how Marxist and insane the Anchorage ass-embly becomes (can it get any worse?), they are utterly irrelevant to Eaglexit, as their approval is NOT required for the plan to proceed, nor is the approval of the Anchorage-wide electorate, only that of the immediate Eagle River/Chugiak area that would be seceding from the MOA itself.
      .
      An addition bonus of this proposal is that the independent Eagle River/Chugiak area would have no homeless problem whatsoever — there are relatively few such people in that area in the first place, and those who do exist or spring up could just be shuttled over to the border of Anchorage proper, where they are welcomed (and coddled) with open arms.

11. Not a particular fan of retreating, but this makes more sense than having to continually be victimized by the Portland, scratch that, Anchorage Assembly.

    Anchorage will get much worse before it gets better. Megs recall victory will embolden the Liberal Assembly.

    Dig a moat before it’s too late.

12. You need to understand the process. It is not the assembly’s decision. It is a decision made my the Land Boundary Commission that starts the process. More to learn at “www.eaglexit.com”

    • Lots to consider on a break up, that no one has calculated the potential costs for.
      1.) What type of government ? (Home Rule, 1st class borough, 2nd class borough, 1st class city, 2nd class city etc) each has separate and distinct powers etc

      2.) Who pays MOA for the assets to be handed over ? (MOA taxpayers who are on the hook for bonds are not going to be cool with paying for schools they dont own anymore). New ER/Chugiak will have to pay for those. AWWU is not going to give over their assets to you so would ER/Chugiak have meters on all the houses or continue flat rate billing to another city’s water department ?

      3.)Planning and land management / Insurance regular government overhead for new city. It’s boring and ugly gov business but it has to be laid out. Economic development, zoning, building codes, waste management plan, wildfire urban interface plans, etc . All this actually impacts the bond and insurance rating of a city also which directly effects the residents and business insurance rates etc. Creating a fire and police department along with equipment because MOA will send their employees and gear back to MOA, lots of $ there, and not as many fed grants as you might think. Also hiring new staff, contracts, PERS/TRS. all that migraine inducing work to figure out.

      4.) Sales tax vs property tax, I think when you look at your proposed area and see how many properties are either tax exempt or reduced property tax you might be shocked at the lack of revenue at whatever proposed mill rate the newly minted city or Eagle River would trust on its people.

      Do I think ER/Chugiak is represented well by its assembly delegates, yes, do I think the rest of the MOA cares about ER/Chugiak, not at all. The same way they dont care about Girdwood. I lived there from 1999-2013 then couldn’t afford to anymore and moved north. If you break away I wish you all the luck getting out from under Los Anchorage, but the devil is in the details

      • You may be surprised if you just take the time and participate.

      • Excellent points, Rick. Along the lines of Point #2 is the Highland Road Landfill. Well within an Eagle River political border, once boght from Anchorage, they’ll be 100% within your power, because appropriate land to create another landfill is already a huge future nightmare for the muni. It was an impossible situation in the nineties when the Merrill Field dump was closed. The Army gave the muni that land……….free. Think that will happen again?

        • Excellent point Reggie, I forgot all about the landfill issues and the dozens of trucks that run daily from the Old Seward station the the Highland Central Landfill transferring waste. Anchorage will have to face a landfill issue soon and selling or handing it over to a newly created ER will not solve that problem and uncle sam isn’t giving out any more land. Permiting a new landfill would be a huge environmental assessment and take years

          • Thanks for mentioning this issue. Along with the proper agreements this could also turn into a steady revenue stream for the ER/Chugiak community. Isn’t there also a power plant out there that runs on methane?

13. Tavoliero:
    You need to run for Congress in 2022. You would win!

    • 100%. He looks like a Congressman, and is certainly much more appealing to the eyes than what we already have.

      • Shucks!

        • You mean Don Young has lost his cuteness?

          • What colors do you choose for your Congressional campaign, Mike? The ladies already have you picked to replace Don Young. You got my vote too.

      • This comment above is exactly was sexism looks like…Voting based on looks imagine if a man had said that comment ?

14. Tavo has no plan. I don’t what he meant to achieve, but he accomplishes nothing with this. Eagle River should hook up with Wasilla and succeed from the USA. Seeing that Russia is so close and the cozy relationship with the orange guy, maybe Russia would take them in.

15. This is interesting. Though you think you have thought of everything a few things are out of place. E.R. cant afford to exit. They cant pay for the services that are provided now by the MOA. They dont have a big enough tax base and the MIL rate would blow up.
    They don’t have JBER, its federal land and not susceptible to any local govt and you cant increase their taxes or restrict access.
    Look at your Native lands as well, they have different rules and get Fed breaks on property. Tikhatnu?
    You cant restrict or charge for access to state parks either.
    You also can’t toll a state road, nice try. Glenn Hwy is subsidized by Fed funds and rules.
    And Mat-Su District 2 would easily get new boundaries to remove itself from any connection to E.R. The valley residents far exceed your puny population and like their freedoms.
    If this does get through somehow, I suggest South Anchorage look into the same and remove itself too. I think start at O’malley Rd and got to Portage. Bye Bye MOA!

    • In my humble opinion a smaller community doesn’t need all the bells and whistles. It needs fire/EMS police, roads and schools. Considering that there are many in ER, whose homes are outside the MOA fire service area, after exit an all-inclusive ER fire district tax to support the creation of more volunteer fire departments, could remedy that situation. A small police contingent for a small community with support agreements from the troopers (CSU, crime lab…). Thinking outside the box, why not train a police volunteer support staff group (lots of seasoned citizens in ER) to help officers with the paper trail tasks etc.
      ER parents strongly urged the ASD after the earthquake to combine HS at Chugiak, make ERHS a middle school and redraw school zones, so that we did not have the expense to rebuild Gruening and ER elementary, as the population base does not support all these schools. But ASD decided against that. With ER’s own small city council and potentially participating in the Mat-Su district, school funds could be more realistically estimated and customized to fit the actual school needs along with more say in curriculum choices etc. An agreement with the MOA to rent the school buildings at a flat fee with option to buy, should prevent large initial outlays. Considering that over 50% of property tax goes to the ASD, without that bloated budget a more modest property tax and potentially a small sales tax, could certainly give the ER area its independence.

16. It sounds like a lot of whining about the fact that the majority of voters didn’t vote for the people that YOU wanted.

17. The messaging in this article resonates with me. As a business person, I struggle to believe that Eagle River can take over the existing infrastructure and services of education, police, fire, water/wastewater, and road maintenance (among those that come easily to mind) and amortize those costs across a population base of 30K for less than the city of Anchorage amortizes it across 300K. I’ve previously asked to see how EaglExit came to the conclusion that it could be done for less and was told that they needed $100K to do a feasibility study so to me it meant they didn’t really know for sure. All that said- I am complete FED UP with the Anchorage Assembly, with their disrespectful treatment of our duly elected mayor, with their disrespectful treatment of the citizens of Anchorage, with them trampling on individual liberty, with their destruction of small businesses. I completely agree that there is no turning back for Anchorage. It has gone deep blue and even the most egregious behavior by Anchorage assembly members- most notably the recent demands by Meg Zalatel re the proposed mask ordinance that non-compliant citizens be fined and requesting people to turn in their non-compliant neighbors (a fascist demand if I ever heard one)- results in voters simply reinforcing this behavior by refusing to recall them. I don’t know if it makes total economic sense for Eagle River to strike off on its own (perhaps we should consider joining Palmer or Wasilla) but I’m ready to vote yes on EaglExit to get us out of Anchorage and out from under the thumbs of the Anchorage Assembly that has made it absolutely clear that they want our tax dollars but they don’t want us represented or respected.

    • You are represented. You have two assemblywoman for 30k people. The rest of Anchorage, say 270k people have ten. You do the math. Hint: you have a disproportionately higher representation.
      ER couldn’t afford the outstanding bond debt alone let alone purchasing all the infrastructure.

      • It seems that bond debt would be a proportional issue, as the entire MOA voted on school bonds and one would have to ascertain which bonds have already been issued and which ones the ASD is keeping in their back pocket for a rainy day, since school bonds pretend to be for one purpose, but the fine print certainly say otherwise. Service area bonds are a different matter. As for purchasing buildings, with appropriate contracts a lease to own could defer the initial cost. We could also tell the Muni to get their stuff of our property……..just kidding!

18. Mr Tavoliero: You’re in luck! Rick wrote a lengthy, insightful contribution to this discussion.. Think of him as a consultant whose expertise just saved you tons of time and money.

    • Evan, you assume that all of those possible objections have to be resolved and figured out de novo, when in actuality there are many past examples of such municipal splits across the country. Why does anyone involved with Eagelexit have to reinvent the wheel here?
      .
      Also, it is interesting that EVERY comment regarding from an Anchorage leftist such as yourself that I have read or heard, here or elsewhere, regarding the proposed separation of Eagle River/Chugiak from Anchorage has been consistently disparaging, mocking, and denigrating. Now just why is that, when the separation would have NO effect on Anchorage-proper residents in any event? In fact, if you are so correct in your assessment of the financial “impossibility” of Eagle River + Chugiak standing on their own, then you should be actively APPLAUDING such a proposal, as it would ostensibly reduce your property taxes.
      .
      So why are all you Anchorage leftists so violently opposed to a proposal that would not affect you at all, except possibly in a financially positive sense? I’ll tell you why: it is because statists and conformists such as you absolutely can not STAND to see anybody, anywhere, slip out from under the thumb of oppressive and overreaching government. The very suggestion seems to drive each and every one of you in apoplectic fits. That such a proposal has such an effect on people like you is extremely revealing, and what it reveals to me is hatred, intolerance, insecurity and envy.

19. Oh Jefferson. Kudos for your exaggeration. My post was meant to underscore the good words of Rick, not “to see anybody, anywhere, slip out from under the thumb of oppressive and overreaching government “. I thought Michael T would benefit from his expertise, no intention of “hatred, intolerance, insecurity and envy.”

    You like to blow things up, wrap a flag of victim hood around you and vilify any perceived opponent as a tyrant, commie, statist, conformist, Marxist, socialist and fascist.

    • If the shoe fits ….

    • Yet it is an undeniable fact that all of those on the so-called ‘left’ (meaning: statist authoritarians) in Anchorage have consistently, invariably and vehemently mocked, ridiculed and attacked the Eaglexit proposal, even and especially when it would not affect them personally in any way. If you cannot respond to that fact, and try to explain or at least rationalize it, then you will just earn my further contempt here.

      • Yet it’s ok for the ER mob to come to the assembly meetings and mock ridicule and attack the other assembly members who are representing their constituents..: ?Given the two failed recalls, accurately I might add. Sorry elections have consequences.

        • Wow, so all those people are from ER?? Is it possible that there are a considerable number of Anchorage residents, who do not like what their Anchorage reps are doing and let them know in no uncertain terms? The recalls are actually proof that there are enough of those in these districts, who wish to be rid of their “representative”. They got a recall started and brought it to the ballot. ER residents had nothing to do with any of those recalls after all.

        • So you cannot or will not respond to the consistent attacks by leftists on the Eaglexit proposal, as I requested, Brian. So noted.

20. Anchorage cannot afford your exit…the only sane assembly persons we have would be gone

    • Michael T., do reassure us Eaglexit will include no part of the union-management schoolboard virus that is Anchorage’s education industry.

21. Thank you Michael T. I have been over a 50 year resident of the EAGLEEXIT area and a supporter since you begin this process. People this is a long process but can only be started by a single step. We have lost our ability to discuss the time a day without preconceived opinions and biases.

    Let’s give this a chance and ask questions not make unfounded demand’s and claims. As a retired military member I know for a fact the the Federal government pays states and localities a replacement tax they used to call impact aid. It’s purpose was to reimburse State and Local taxpayers for the loss of non-taxable property. So although military members and other government agencies don’t pay local and property tax you do get millions in Federal Dollars to replace the loss revenue. Alaska receives millions of dollars more than each Alaskan pays in Federal taxes.

    I for this and willing to discuss it, research issues and answers and a member. We can agree to calmly discuss the decision and vote on it or we can out of clubs, rant and rave, and may the strongest side be the victors. But after 25 years of fighting and defending every’s rights including free speech I hope we can get pass that on a personal basis on issues at home.

    • That’s only for schools on federal lands which would only apply to: Ursa Major, Ursa Minor in the proposed ER/Chugiak “New City”: : “https://oese.ed.gov/offices/office-of-formula-grants/impact-aid-program/”

      It does not cover taxes the way you described, only FEDERALLY OWNED property, not property owned by military members.

      “https://www.alasbo.org/events/workshops/Impact_Aid_Alaska.pdf”

      • EaglExit has no impact on the valley yet you continue to tell us how it can’t be done. You sure seem to have a lot of input on something that will not affect you at all. Let us worry about EaglExit and you worry about the valley.

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