Kenai Peninsula Borough Mayor Mike Navarre addressed the Senate Finance Committee about boroughs asking to be a part of the discussions with the LNG project.
As we previously reported, a number of boroughs throughout Alaska have asked to be more informed about the project and its projected effects on their communities.
The state and companies involved in the projects signed an agreement saying that subject to consultation between the state and local governments, payments in lieu of property taxes, or PILT taxes, would be paid by the companies.
Mayor Navarre told KSRM that while still seeking more input on the process, the KPB has a difference of interests than some of the other boroughs, therefore is seeking consultation on its own.
Mayor Navarre: “Some of them are concerned about their existing tax base meaning they don’t want to see their existing tax base on oil properties eroding away. Whereas for the Kenai Peninsula Borough our bigger concern is this gasline project and how that’s going to be structured and what the impacts will be to the Kenai borough from that.”
The committee is looking into a bill that would make the state an equity partner in the project and allow for the project to move into the early phases of engineering and design.