Borough assembly finance committee chair Tom Morphet’s proposals this week to levy two new taxes to pay for bridges and roads fell largely on deaf ears.

The borough’s Finance Committee, comprised of Morphet, Brenda Josephson and Stephanie Scott, discussed the proposals Tuesday night. Morphet cited large future infrastructure replacement costs for roads and the Excursion Inlet and the Klehini River bridges as the rationale for creating new taxes to pay for them.

“I bring this up, in part, for us to understand what the cost is when we accept the obligations for major infrastructure,” Morphet said. “We’re a small town with a fairly small tax base and we own some pretty big chunks of infrastructure.”

The borough assembly voted to accept ownership of the Excursion Inlet bridge from the U.S. Forest Service last year.

Morphet worked with borough finance director Jila Stuart to estimate replacement costs for the bridges. Morphet said the Klehini River and Excursion Inlet bridges could cost $20 million and $1 million, respectively, to replace.

Based on Delta Western figures, Morphet said a 10-cents-per-gallon tax on gasoline and diesel would generate between $100,000 to $150,000 annually to help pay for road and bridge maintenance.

He also proposed additional property taxes on area residents to pay for the use of the Klehini River bridge, and an annual fee for residents who drive across the bridge.

“Just like your boat ramp, it would be a sticker or permit you would buy every year,” Morphet said. “If you lived across the bridge it would automatically be tacked onto your property taxes and if you were driving on the other side of the bridge you’d be expected to have that sticker on your car…it’s a fee for using the bridge.”

His proposals met with opposition and skepticism from the other committee members and borough manager Debra Schnabel. The discussion became heated at times, with members interrupting each other and raising their voices.

Scott asked if other community members had given Morphet support for the proposals.

“I want to know if this is a real idea or if it’s just your idea,” Scott said.

“What is the difference?” Morphet asked.

“The difference is whether it will create chaos in our community, and I don’t want to do that,” Scott said.

Josephson argued that residents already pay for services and adding additional, targeted taxes is unfair. “Now you’re saying, ‘You drive across the bridge we’re going to nail you more.’ I’m told the reason we pay sales tax is because we’re all in this together. Now you’re telling me we’re not in this together.”

Schnabel said the gas tax proposal has merit, but needs further discussion. “With all due respect I think, Tom, that you’ve kind of blustered your way into solving a problem that has been defined, but it’s not an immediate problem. It’s an issue that can be resolved by setting out a stratified and planned time scheduled course of activity. I think you can get there. I think this community can get there but this committee doesn’t seem to be getting there.”

Schnabel disagreed that the borough would have to pay for the bridge replacement costs Morphet cited. She said other options are available, such as public-private partnerships. The Excursion Inlet bridge was replaced with parts from another bridge, Schnabel pointed out.

Morphet said it’s not “realistic or responsible” to assume that infrastructure will be cheaper in the future. “I think basing our logic on the empirical experience of our lives would lead us to say, ‘Let’s set up some funds and start setting some money aside.’”

Stuart thanked Morphet for grappling with the issue at all. “I just want to, for a moment, commend assembly member Morphet for engaging the taxes and looking at the revenues. I think every time we talk about a new tax everyone clenches up because it’s understood that we don’t want more taxes, but it would be nice if we could talk about the total revenue package.”

Josephson suggested the borough could exempt sales tax on gasoline and institute a separate gas tax that directly pays for infrastructure or just direct gasoline sales tax into a special revenue fund for the same purpose.

Morphet cited the townsite’s $225,000 budget deficit and asked where the money was going to come from.

Josephson said voters have told her they want the assembly to cut the budget, not increased taxes.

Scott suggested placing a head tax on commercial tour guests who use the Klehini River bridge. She said Morphet needed to more clearly outline his plan and make it more palatable to the public before the committee voted on the proposals.

Morphet responded by saying the committee members could “show courage and do it.” “We’re paid to say, ‘OK, you’re going to complain. We’re paid to do the right thing.’”

Josephson said they were “paid to represent the people.”

Morphet said if people didn’t’ like the idea they could fill the hall and give the assembly a better idea. He said the level of opposition from committee members was discouraging. “I’m not going to roll on this. If it doesn’t get out of committee, I’m going to take it to the assembly.”

Haines taxpayers currently pay 5.5 percent in sales tax and an 8-cents-a-gallon state tax for fuel at local pumps.

The borough’s public works department $500,000 budget, which pays for road maintenance, is funded by sales tax.

Anchorage recently implemented a 10-cents-a-gallon fuel tax. Anchorage does not have a sales tax.