The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday at the ANB/ANS Hall in Haines, and the Klehini Valley Fire Department on Mosquito Lake, for voters to select two assembly members, two planning commission members, two school board members and whether the town should have a seasonal sales tax.
Early, or absentee voting, started on Sept. 22 and is available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday at the borough administration building.
As of Monday, Oct. 6, at 12:30 p.m., 401 voters had cast early ballots. Clerk Mike Denker said that mix includes 22 absentee-by-mail voters, 24 absentee-by-fax/email, 349 in-person absentee votes, 5 special needs ballots and one questioned ballot.
After the results were calculated, last year’s voter turnout was 1,189 voters, which is about 48% of those registered to vote in the borough. On average over the last decade, nearly 46% of Haines’ registered voters have participated in local regular elections with a high of 53% in 2020 and a low of 38% in 2015.
This year’s ballot also includes a sales tax proposition asking voters to increase the sales tax rate seasonally from 5.5% to 7% in the townsite from April 1-Sept. 30, with an accompanying increase from 4% to 5% borough-wide. That same tax rate would then drop to 4.5 % in-town and 3% in the rest of the borough from Oct. 1-March 31 while also exempting groceries from sales tax during those months.
It’s a measure many communities are considering as the costs of public services go up, while state and federal support drops.
Neighboring Juneau has three sales tax proposals on the ballot which could, among other things, exempt food and residential utilities from local sales tax, while a seasonal shift would raise the city’s sales tax rate from 5% to 7.5 % in the summer and lower it to 3% in the winter.
Skagway is considering an increase to its existing seasonal sales tax rate from 5 to 7% during the summer, while Ketchikan voters are being asked if they’d like to extend part of the local sales tax through 2032.
Up for two three-year seats on the Haines borough assembly are four candidates including incumbents Gabe Thomas and Richard Clement who are facing challenges from planning commissioner Eben Sargent and John Norton.
A similar dynamic is playing out on the planning commission where incumbent commissioners Rachel Saitzyk and Dan Schultz are facing challenges from political newcomers Nathanael Reams and Kimberly Rosado for two three-year seats.
In addition to sitting down with the Chilkat Valley News for profiles, each of the candidates for office answered a series of questions directly from voters.
School board incumbents Keely Falcon Baumgartner and Michelle Sloper are both running unopposed for three year seats.