On Tuesday, the Haines Borough Assembly passed a $19.7 million operating and capital budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, including $1,860,626 in CARES Act Funds and $7,209,000 in state and federal grants for capital projects. The budget’s final passage was marked by a number of last-minute amendments. This year, the borough faced unexpected shortfalls including […]
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Posted inLetters to the Editor
Schnabel, citizens deserve better
Debra deserved better. So did the people of Haines. I look forward to the day when petty people who misuse their political power are no longer elected. I apologize for voting for Paul Rogers. I had no idea that he was a lackey for Don Turner Jr. or that he was so weak in the […]
Posted inNews
Assembly begins work on ballot measure
On Tuesday, the Haines Borough Assembly’s finance committee gave chair Brenda Josephson the authority to work with staff to draft language for a ballot measure asking voters to approve a draw from the borough’s permanent fund. Assembly member Zephyr Sincerny, who proposed the measure, said the intent is to ask voters to approve a $450,000 draw, roughly […]
Posted inNews
Manager addresses assembly, mayor after her termination
Former Haines Borough manager Debra Schnabel on Tuesday night addressed the assembly members and Mayor who fired her last week, and placed final responsibility on Mayor Jan Hill, who broke a 3-3 tie vote in favor of firing Schnabel. “This decision was yours,” Schnabel told Hill. “I am very disappointed. It seems to me that this could have been an opportunity to lead, […]
Posted inNews
CARES Act and capital funds buoy budget
At a meeting Tuesday night, the Haines Borough Assembly voted to use a mixture of capital funds and CARES Act coronavirus relief to address the borough’s $448,149 budget shortfall. The shortfall was created last month when Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed all of the state’s support of municipal school bond debt payments, leaving communities across Alaska with unexpected […]
Posted inLetters to the Editor
Fix borough by electing managers
Well, this is really cute. In the middle of a world- class pandemic and a major budget crisis, the Mayor and assembly decide to fire our manager? Wasn’t it just last week that they were whining that we had no money and they wanted the budget cut even more than it already had been? And now we […]
Posted inNews
Assembly narrowly fires manager: mayor breaks tie
The Haines Borough Assembly voted Tuesday evening to fire borough manager Debra Schnabel without cause, with Mayor Jan Hill breaking a 3-3 tie vote. Assembly member Jerry Lapp, Stephanie Scott and Zephyr Sincerny were opposed to the motion to fire Schnabel while members Paul Rogers, Brenda Josephson, Gabe Thomas and Jan Hill voted in support. The assembly met in executive session with its attorney for more than […]
Posted inNews
Haines poised to receive $2 million in COVID-19 relief
At an ad hoc meeting on Monday, Haines Borough Assembly members identified five potential spending categories for the $4 million in CARES Act funding the borough is scheduled to receive—emergency and medical response, direct support for individuals, grants for small businesses, coronavirus testing and food security. On March 27, the U.S. Congress passed the CARES Act, including […]
Posted inNews
Assembly suspends manager with pay
The Haines Borough Assembly voted 4-2 at its regular meeting Tuesday to suspend borough manager Debra Schnabel with pay. The assembly will hold an executive session and will meet with the borough attorney to consider “the necessary steps to terminate the manager without cause.” Assembly members Paul Rogers, Brenda Josephson, Gabe Thomas and Jerry Lapp were in favor while members Stephanie Scott and […]
Posted inNews
Tourism board: Bring more RCCL ships
The Tourism Advisory Board is unanimously recommending that the Haines Borough Assembly pass a resolution in favor of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. increasing its number of port calls to Haines in future years. The board met for the first time in roughly a month and a half to discuss RCCL prospects with Haines tourism director Steven Auch. […]