My Turn: Voting yes on Proposition 2 calls for a yes vote on Proposition 3
Published 10:30 pm Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Proposition 2 would give financial relief to every person in Juneau permanently. Eliminating taxes on life’s essentials — food, heat, light, and refuse removal — would be meaningful as their costs have risen dramatically and are predicted to continue rising.
Proposition 3, a fluctuating sales tax, would counterbalance the effect of Proposition 2 on city finances. As stated in the Voter Information Booklet, “If both propositions [2 and 3] pass, the net impact on municipal revenue is estimated to be minimal.” The reason for that is the spending of the one million-plus visitors to Juneau from April through September.
An argument against the sales tax of 3% in winter and 7.5% in summer is that it amounts to an average yearly sales tax of 5.25%, a rise of $.0025. However, if Proposition 2 passes, the overall sales tax for all residents will be substantially reduced permanently. The addition of a quarter of a penny in tax in summer will not amount to an overall cost increase because the tax on everyday purchases of food and monthly payments for utilities will have been eliminated.
Another argument against Proposition 3 is that it would be unfriendly to summer visitors to require a $.025 increase in sales tax. A counter to this view is that it would not be unfriendly to ask visitors to contribute to the affordability of the community that provides them with use of its safety and emergency services and its roads, waterways, and skies. Visitors would not, or at least should not, be against helping make the community that welcomes them more affordable for the residents who make that community possible.
Juneau values its parks, swimming pools, ski slopes, libraries, transportation, safety and emergency services, hospital, and schools. Propositions 1 and 2 reduce financial support of these, so what is a not unreasonable solution to this reduction of income for valued services?
A yes vote on Proposition 3.
Art Petersen has resided in Juneau since 1975 and is a retired faculty member of the University of Alaska Southeast.
