A proposal that would nearly double Girdwood property taxes to pay for a local police force is set for introduction Tuesday at the Anchorage Assembly.
The ordinance, proposed by Anchorage Assembly member Jennifer Johnston, calls for a special mail-in election to allow Girdwood residents to decide if they want Whittier police to replace Alaska State Troopers being withdrawn under the state budget crisis. Troopers have also said recently they may be willing to provide services through a contract if Girdwood can get grant money.
Johnston said her ordinance is just "a placeholder" that would give Girdwood residents time to develop the two options. Both ideas would probably be substantially cheaper than stationing Anchorage police in Girdwood, according to a member of the Girdwood Board of Supervisors, another option that's still under consideration.
Johnson described her measure in a phone interview as "an opportunity for the Girdwood Board of Supervisors to start developing a law enforcement coverage plan by Jan. 1."
The New Year brings the closure of Girdwood's trooper post, potentially leaving the Southcentral Alaska ski resort town without a regular police presence. The post is closing due to state budget shortfalls.
The ordinance would ask voters in the Girdwood Valley Service Area to increase taxes in the community for police protection at the sole expense of area residents.
The maximum mill levy in the service area, currently 6 mills, could be increased to 11.25 mills, according to the ordinance. That's about a $1,000 increase on a property valued at $200,000.
Johnston said that increase would be the maximum and could end up much lower.
"The mill rate is way too high," she said. "It's just a placeholder."
In interviews earlier this summer, Girdwood residents expressed less concern about criminals than worries about significantly higher taxes. The community's service area powers currently include allotting taxes for road maintenance, trash collection, fire protection, parks and recreation, and more recently, maintaining a cemetery.
Johnston said she timed the ordinance so Girdwood could formulate a policing plan by October and then mail the ballot by November.
Girdwood Board of Supervisors co-chair Sam Daniel is optimistic about the timeline. There are two options moving forward, he said.
Girdwood may contract with the City of Whittier Police Department. Whittier is about a 30-minute drive on the Seward Highway, southeast of Girdwood, and through the Anton Anderson Memorial Tunnel. Two full-time officers, with seasonal officers added when the fishing is good, currently police the Prince William Sound community of about 200 residents.
Daniel said he and others on the Girdwood public safety task force were meeting with the Whittier police chief Monday.
And it now appears troopers are open to contract police work in Girdwood if grant money were obtained, said Johnston and Daniel.
Daniel said he was surprised and encouraged by the troopers' willingness to find another option. Previously, the agency said the need to restructure, including the loss of officers in some Alaska towns, was unavoidable given the state's shortage of funds.
Johnston said smaller communities on the Seward Highway -- Indian, Rainbow and Portage, among others -- would not get police services under the two options. Those communities lack the ability to tax like Girdwood, she said. Law enforcement along the highway remains a concern, she said.
The supervisors board, as well as the Girdwood's residents, haven't yet decided which option is best.
"In November we'll have a community meeting and basically put forward the possibilities and try and generate consensus," Daniel said.