Juneau Assembly votes to keep raw fish tax going to harbors by default

The Juneau Assembly on Monday passed an ordinance that keeps state raw fish tax revenue going to the harbor fund unless the Assembly cites extenuating fiscal circumstances. It passed without objection and takes effect in 30 days.

As introduced, the ordinance would have removed the city code language that sends the revenue to the harbors. The city manager said that during the fiscal year 2027 budget cycle, staff found the state-shared fisheries business tax, also known as the raw fish tax, could be used for general government services, and the budget put about $400,000 of it toward general fund spending.

Mayor Beth Weldon amended it to keep harbors as the default recipient. She said many communities keep the money with the harbor and that boats already pay harbor fees.

The Assembly can already take the money under state law, the city attorney said, and the amendment adds "bookends": members would need to explain their reasoning, and the direction would come through budget meetings.

In an August memo, the port director put the harbors' loss at $450,000 a year and projected the harbor enterprise fund at only $1.2 million at the end of fiscal 2027, perhaps its lowest ever, as Alaska News reported Aug. 18.

Docks and Harbors chair Shem Sooter asked the Assembly to "see if we can continue to send that towards the docks and harbors." He listed upcoming work, including replacing the Statter Harbor breakwater and floats and the Aurora Harbor office, and put it at "probably $300-400 million worth."

Assembly member Nano Brooks said, "I don't want to see us getting in a habit of, you know, taking unnecessarily from them."