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Resident urges borough to assume area-wide library powers as petition gathers signatures
Summary
A public commenter told the Ketchikan Public Library Advisory Board that a citizen petition to put a measure on the fall ballot asking the borough to assume area‑wide library powers has gathered 289 signatures so far; the petition would need majority approval in both the cities and the rest of the borough to pass and supporters say the measure addresses a projected $200,000 shortfall.
A public commenter told the Ketchikan Public Library Advisory Board on June 21 that a citizen petition asking the Ketchikan Gateway Borough to assume area‑wide library powers is rapidly collecting signatures and represents an attempt to stabilize library funding and governance.
The commenter said the petition had 289 signatures as of Sunday and noted the threshold for certification would be 369 if every signature counted. “Our goal is to get at least 400,” the commenter said, adding that the petition must carry in both the area outside the cities of Ketchikan and Saxman and within the cities to take effect.
Why it matters: the commenter and several board members described a funding squeeze after the borough assembly reduced the non‑area‑wide mill rate in recent years. The speaker said the levy cut from roughly 0.7 to 0.6 left the library “about $200,000 short” of what would be needed to maintain current services under the city’s contract. The commenter also referenced state statute, saying that if voters approve a borough assumption of library powers “they must exercise that” responsibility.
Board members asked about the petition’s logistics and funding implications. A board member noted the state contribution to the library is modest—“the $7,000 that we get from the state of Alaska,” the speaker said—and asked whether losing other funding sources could jeopardize state or grant eligibility. The petitioner said the state amount is small and reiterated that the petition is primarily being circulated by word of mouth and at local venues such as the mall and the Pilot House.
Supporters and board members framed the petition as a way to avoid ongoing conflict between city and borough funding decisions. The petitioner said the ballot approach would give voters the choice of whether the borough should provide library services area‑wide, potentially eliminating the current contract arrangement between the city and borough.
Next steps: the borough assembly will hold a public hearing and work session on the question on July 20, and petition signatures must be turned in by July 28 if supporters are to meet certain certification timings. The petitioner said she would be available to answer additional questions and encouraged residents to sign and ask their elected representatives about commitments to library services.
Attribution: quotations and detailed claims in this article are drawn from a public comment recorded in the meeting transcript and are attributed to the public commenter who presented the petition at the June 21 meeting.
