The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly Finance Committee voted Wednesday night not to increase the property taxes.<\/p>\n
“The tax rates stayed flat. We were able to use the federal CARES act funding beneficially,” said City Manager Rorie Watt in a phone interview. “We were able to get child care funding off the ground. Both swimming pools will remain in operation. People should be happy.”<\/p>\n
The committee voted down an increase of .1 mill, which would have meant a $10 increase in tax collected for every $100,000 of assessed <\/a>value<\/a>. That failed increase was amended from a proposed increase of 1 mill.<\/p>\n “There’s zero change to the current rate,” said CBJ Assembly member Loren Jones in a phone interview. “We were able to hold the line on property tax, though I voted against it. I think we’re going to need it”<\/p>\n Similarly, proposed facilities and maintenance funding in the amount of $90,000 was voted down. Many of the committee’s decisions were motivated by a cautious approach toward an uncertain future, Jones said.<\/p>\n A motion to free up money from the affordable housing fund for use was voted down 5-4.<\/p>\n “We have within the city and borough an affordable housing fund. What was being proposed to take money out of the fund and have that made available in grants. The money stays in the fund,” Jones said. “We’re not sure what the housing market is going to be. Given the covid and lack of construction, there’s a downturn in the permits being requested. We wanted to be more cautious.”<\/p>\n The request for the housing fund was that money would be made available for use. The vote means that the money will stay in the fund for needs that may be more dire in the future, Jones said. The city also pushed back a number of projects, including the renovation of the Augustus Brown Swimming Pool, by a year.<\/p>\n A Sealaska Heritage Institute request for $1.5 million for a new arts campus downtown was also postponed following a request by SHI<\/a>. A motion for the mayor and city manager to write a letter affirming the city’s continued support of the project was passed unanimously.<\/p>\n