The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly enacted an ordinance that appropriates funds for the cost of distributing information about the ballot proposition seeking voter approval for the issuance of bonds to pay for the Central Emergency Service Area Fire Station #1 Project to ensure compliance with legal restrictions on the use of borough funds and assets related to ballot propositions.
$3,500 has been requested by the Borough Administration as well as the Central Emergency Service Area Board to cover the costs of informing the public of the needs and impacts associated with the proposition seeking voter approval for the issuance of bonds to pay for the project. State statute prohibits municipalities from influencing the outcome of an election concerning a ballot proposition unless funds have specifically been approved for that purpose by municipal ordinance.
According to CES Chief Roy Browning, the materials and information that will be distributed will be factual, and address the needs and impacts associated with the GO bond proposition. It will be distributed through online platforms, print publications, and presentations throughout the borough.
A separate ordinance was recently enacted by the assembly regarding the submission to the qualified voters of the Central Emergency Service Area at the regular municipal election, the question of the issuance of $16.5 million in GO bonds to pay the cost of replacing the CES Fire Station #1 in and for the service area.
This ordinance will enact a notwithstanding exception to borough code to allow for borough employees’ in-kind services to promote the passage of ballot propositions and authorize the management and transfer of information necessary to inform the public of the justification and need for the issuance of the bonds.
Additionally, even though the Kenai Peninsula Borough Administration believes the distribution of this information doesn’t violate borough code, this ordinance would resolve any potential legal issues by authorizing the dissemination of any prepared materials.
