Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly approves $300,000 appropriation for surplus school properties, adopts safety plan and advances several tax measures

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on June 8 enacted a $300,000 appropriation for utilities, maintenance and insurance of two surplus school properties, adopted a boroughwide safe streets and roads plan as part of the comprehensive plan, approved placing a Nanilchik Recreation Service Area on the ballot and took steps to advance several proposed sales-tax and property-tax measures to public hearing.

The actions matter because they change the borough’s near-term budget posture, make certain roadway projects eligible for federal dollars and send a voter-driven service-area proposal for community recreation — including a pool — to a referendum. The meeting also advanced multiple tax-related ordinances for public hearings on Aug. 5 in Homer, including proposals to adjust the sales-tax cap for inflation and to change the seasonal sales-tax rate schedule, moves that could affect borough revenues and homeowner tax burden if voters approve them.

Finance and appropriations

Finance Committee Chair Tunseth told the Assembly the substitute version of ordinance 20-25-19-01 reduces the original appropriation request for Sterling Elementary and the Nikolaevsk school surplus properties from an earlier estimate of about $720,000 to $300,000. The substitute — which the Assembly approved and then enacted by unanimous consent — was described repeatedly as an appropriation (money set aside)…