The latest round of local election results showed razor-thin defeat for a plan to build a new City Hall and a narrow victory for opponents of a local real estate disclosure ordinance.
Proposition 1, a question of whether to issue $35 million in bond debt for a new City Hall, was narrowly rejected by voters by 242 votes — 4,593-4,351 — in updated unofficial results released late Friday. Proposition 4, repealing a local ordinance requiring buyers to disclose the sales price of real estate to the city, was narrowly approved by a vote of 4,649-4,281 — a 369-vote difference — according to the unofficial tally.
Propositions extending the temporary 1% sales tax to provide funding for a variety of local projects and asking whether to issue $6.6 million in bond debt for recreation improvements both passed handily.
The final unofficial vote for Prop 2 — recreation-related bond debt — showed it passing 6,056-2,923. Prop 3 — the sales tax extension — received 6,192 votes in favor and 2,793 against.
Meanwhile, races for City and Borough of Juneau Assembly and the Juneau School District Board of Education were uncontested. That means incumbents Carole Triem, Greg Smith and Wade Bryson each secured another term on the Assembly. Likewise, Emil Mackey and Deedie Sorensen won terms on the school board.
As of Friday, 9,046 ballots had been received, approved and counted out of 9,366 total ballots received, according to the city clerk’s office. The remaining ballots, and any additional ballots or cure letter responses that come in the mail between Friday and certification, will be processed during the Canvass Review Board work scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Monday at the city’s ballot processing center off Thane Road.
In light of the extremely close vote on Proposition 1, those 320 votes have a remote chance to impact the outcome of the election.
Voters who received a cure letter can contact the CBJ Election Call Center at (907) 586-5278, Option 4 to ensure their ballot is counted. Voters have until 4:30 p.m. Monday to contact the CBJ Elections Office to cure their ballots so they can be approved for counting by the Canvass Review Board.
Certification is expected by Wednesday, according to the CBJ elections website. CBJ offices will be closed for Alaska Day on Tuesday.
Once the election is certified, which is expected Oct. 19, there is the opportunity for defeated candidates or a group of 10 qualified voters to file for a recount application, as outlined in CBJ’s code of ordinances.
A recount application must be filed within two days of the official review to be allowed. If approved a recount would be held within five days after the acceptance of an application, according to city ordinance.
A ballot is placed in a drop box on Tuesday, Oct. 4, during the City and Borough of Juneau municipal election. Voters could cast ballots by mail, at voting centers located at City Hall and the Mendenhall Valley Public Library or at secure drop boxes at Don D. Statter Harbor and at the Douglas Public Library/ Fire Station. (Ben Hohenstatt / Juneau Empire File)
How was turnout?
The election saw a turnout of 32.54%, according to Friday’s results.
That’s slightly up from last year’s 30.8%, but down from the 2020 municipal election which saw turnout exceed 40%. However, it’s also up from 2019, the last pre-pandemic local election, which saw a voter turnout of 31.4%, according to the City and Borough of Juneau.
• Contact reporter Jonson Kuhn at Jonson.Kuhn@juneauempire.com.
Jonson Kuhn / Juneau Empire This chart shows unofficial municipal election results for four propositions put before voters.
