House committee advances Local Boundary Commission expansion bill

The House Community and Regional Affairs Committee voted Thursday morning to advance legislation that would expand the Local Boundary Commission and guarantee representation from Alaska's unorganized borough.

Senate Bill 63, sponsored by Senator Mike Cronk, adds one seat to the five-member commission and requires at least one commissioner live in and be registered to vote in the unorganized borough. The bill also extends commissioner terms from five years to six years so one seat comes up for appointment each year.

The Alaska Senate passed the measure unanimously on April 1 by a 20-0 vote. The House committee voted to report the bill from committee with individual recommendations after a brief hearing. Representative Carolyn Hall made the motion to report the bill from committee with individual recommendations and the accompanying fiscal note.

Cronk, who represents District R covering roughly a third of Alaska's land area, said the changes reflect the reality that much of the state will never organize into boroughs. He said forcing small communities into municipal structures they can't afford creates more problems than it solves.

"We should not be forcing things from government down. We should be looking at things from the people up," Cronk said. "If those people are the ones that want to do that, I think that is a great idea. But if we are forcing it down upon them, I think that is a situation for failure."

Cronk pointed to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act as an example of forced organization that has not worked. He said people were forced into cities that are not functioning because they can't afford to operate them. He also noted that most villages are not taxable, making it difficult to sustain a municipal government.

Representative Donna Mears noted that more than 40 percent of the proposed gas pipeline route runs through unincorporated areas. Cronk said forcing those areas into a borough would shift property tax revenue away from the state.

Representative Rebecca Himschute noted the Local Boundary Commission's role is to act on petitions for incorporation, dissolution, merger, and consolidation of cities and boroughs. She said she supports making sure commission decisions include voices from all areas that could be affected.

The bill also establishes in statute that commissioners appointed from the unorganized borough must actually live and vote in the districts they represent. The changes take effect January 31, 2027, and will not affect current commissioners' terms.

The measure now moves to the House floor. The committee attached one fiscal note to the bill.