Residents of communities along Turnagain Arm outside of Anchorage and Girdwood will be asked in April whether to tax themselves to pay for police protection.
The Anchorage Assembly authorized a special ballot in the April 4 city election Tuesday night.
Along Turnagain Arm, including Indian, Rainbow, Bird Creek, Portage Valley and the northern portion of Crow Creek Road outside of Girdwood Valley, the Alaska State Troopers have historically investigated reports of crimes.
But troopers say the department won't provide such services after May 1, citing state budget cuts.
The ballot measure proposed by Assemblyman John Weddleton would generate a fund of up to $50,000 for police service. The fund would pay an hourly fee for the Anchorage Police Department to investigate crimes. Unused taxes collected in one year would roll over the following year, and could lead to lower taxes the next year, according to Weddleton's measure.
The tax money would not pay for patrol service or accident response on the Seward Highway.