New Xunaa borough approved by boundary commission, but local voters will ultimately decide

In a landmark vote, Alaska’s Local Boundary Commission approved the petition to create the Xunaa Borough in Hoonah, with a 3-2 margin.

This historic decision would dissolve the first-class City of Hoonah and reincorporate it as a borough with authority over much of northern Southeast Alaska, including sections of Glacier Bay National Park. Many of the areas it would incorporate are remote settlements that may perceive little benefit.

If approved by local voters, the change could give Hoonah residents a stronger voice in their governance, reflecting their values and traditions without interference from external bureaucratic pressures.

At the heart of this decision was a push for individual liberty over what Commissioner John Harrington, who cast the deciding vote, viewed as Alaska’s entrenched bureaucratic rigidity. He noted that the borough boundaries, crafted with community needs in mind, satisfy the legal standards and align with Alaskans’ interests for greater local control. 

Commissioners Ely Cyrus and Clayton Trotter, voting in favor, underscored the decision reflects Alaska’s spirit of resilience and autonomy — values that resonate deeply within the proposed Xunaa Borough’s territory.

Dissenters Larry Wood and Clay Walker argued for consolidation as the most efficient model, citing the absence of three nearby communities (Pelican, Tenakee Springs, and Gustavus). Their stance was overruled.

In an analogy, Trotter likened the excluded communities to “crabs in a bucket,” pulling down another that’s just about to escape. 

The new borough, if approved by residents, will rely primarily on tourism revenue, particularly from cruise ships that dock at Icy Strait Point. However, the LBC unanimously suggested that, after formation, Xunaa should consider discussions with the three excluded communities, opening a door for those communities to join in the future.

The state will schedule a special election for voters within the proposed borough to gauge if they want to become a borough. If they approve it, it will be the first new borough in Alaska since Petersburg incorporated as a borough in 2013.