Juneau Assembly pulls $16M school bond from the October ballot

A $16 million school bond will not go before Juneau voters this fall. The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly voted 5-2 Monday to refer the bond ordinance to the Assembly Finance Committee for the fiscal year 2028 budget process rather than send it to voters on Oct. 6.

The city attorney said the ballot language would disqualify the bonds from state school debt reimbursement. That program returned this year after about five years in moratorium. "The statute requires the ballot to have information about the total cost of the project, interest, annual operation and maintenance costs, estimated amounts to be paid by the state and the municipality, and the mill rate," she said. Any fix would need school board approval before ballots go to the printer Friday. The attorney said a reimbursement-eligible measure should also go to the state Department of Education and Early Development for approval before voters see it.

Members who backed the delay pointed to the city's revenue picture and to the measures already headed to the October ballot. "As much as I hate to kick this can down the road, I think that it is far more important that we stabilize our revenue. So for that reason, I'm objecting," one member said of putting the bond to voters now. Deputy Mayor Smith said the city provides $1 million in capital improvement funding each year to the school district for deferred maintenance.

Two members dissented. "We know that when we put off major capital improvements, things like roofs, things like a major HVAC, the cost goes up. It does not go down," one said. Juneau last bonded for school capital work in 2020.