In the continuing saga of the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly’s invocation policy, the body will now consider the appropriation of $75,000 just in case of legal costs.
In a memo attached to the ordinance up for introduction, Assembly President Kelly Cooper writes that the recent adoption of their invocation policy attracted “numerous comments challenging the legality of the policy.”
The resolution which established a policy for invocations was adopted in late October, despite a veto from Borough Mayor Mike Navarre…
KPB Mayor Navarre: “What I did was veto a resolution that really I think opened the Borough up to litigation. And significant cost. That’s really what my biggest concern is, and I know this is a sensitive issue, very emotional, people feel very strongly about it, but I think we put Borough finances at risk by going forward with this policy. And I appreciate that Assembly Member Bagley has indicated that he’ll bring forth a resolution to adopt some changes and amendments to it and I think that’s fine. We ought to have a policy.”
A letter by the American Civil Liberties Union representatives in Anchorage had advised the Assembly “either stop invocations or go back to letting anyone offer them.”
The ACLU had hinted at possible legal action after the Assembly implemented a policy which only allows members of registered religious groups on the Kenai Peninsula to offer opening invocations at Assembly meetings.
As of the end of October, the ACLU had not filed any formal lawsuit, but sent a representative to a meeting to watch the proceedings and answer questions.
The ordinance appropriating $75,000 in funding that “may be needed on short notice to pay for outside counsel to advise and defend the borough” is up for introduction Tuesday, November 22.
A public hearing on the ordinance is planned for December 6.
