There are seven bond propositions on the April 1 Municipal ballot in Anchorage.
Proposition # 1
- The largest bond on the ballot – $57 million for maintenance, renovations and upgrades to buildings in the Anchorage School District. Most of the money would go toward renovations and an addition at Airport Heights Elementary School which was built in the 50s.
Proposition # 2
- A $1.79 million bond that would pay for area wide safety and public transportation improvements. It will pay for things like new ambulances, bus stop improvements and technology upgrades.
Proposition # 3
- A $5.55 million bond, about half of which would fund improvements to the Loussac Library. The remainder would fund improvements to other important community buildings.
Proposition # 4
- A $2.55 million bond that would pay for improvements to parks trails and recreational facilities. It will pay for construction of an enclosed dog park at Valley of the Moon Park, resurfacing of greenbelt trails and safety upgrades at recreational centers, among other things.
Proposition # 5
- The second largest bond package on the ballot – it’s a $20.2 million bond that would pay for roads, storm drainage and related capital improvements. It will fund nearly 20 separate projects across the city, including reconstruction of Arctic Boulevard between 36th and Tudor, which has had drainage problems. A big chunk of the money will be put into an uncommitted drainage fund so that the city can respond quickly to flooding events. The money will also be used for pavement rehabilitation – fixing potholes and installing new culverts, among other things.
Proposition #6
- A $1.95 million bond that would pay for fire fighting equipment. Specifically, it will pay for a new ladder truck, a new water tender and related capital improvements.
Proposition # 7
- At $650,000, it’s the smallest bond proposition on the ballot – The money would fund public safety facilities. The money would replace a heating and air conditioning system at the Anchorage Police Department Headquarters, as well as some renovations to the building.
Besides the seven bond propositions, two charter amendments will appear the April 1 Municipal Ballot. One would allow Community Service Officers to continue issuing parking tickets and the other would make language in the charter, basically the Constitution of Anchorage.
Daysha Eaton is a contributor with the Alaska Public Radio Network.
Daysha Eaton holds a B.A. from Evergreen State College, and a M.A. from the University of Southern California. Daysha got her start in radio at Seattle public radio stations, KPLU and KUOW. Before coming to KBBI, she was the News Director at KYUK in Bethel. She has also worked as the Southcentral Reporter for KSKA in Anchorage.
Daysha's work has appeared on NPR's "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered", PRI's "The World" and "National Native News". She's happy to take assignments, and to get news tips, which are best sent via email.
Daysha became a journalist because she believes in the power of storytelling. Stories connect us and they help us make sense of our world. They shed light on injustice and they comfort us in troubled times. She got into public broadcasting because it seems to fulfill the intention of the 4th Estate and to most effectively apply the freedom of the press granted to us through the Constitution. She feels that public radio has a special way of moving people emotionally through sound, taking them to remote places, introducing them to people they would not otherwise meet and compelling them to think about issues they might ordinarily overlook.
