Nikiski residents may get an opportunity to vote for a service area that would fund law enforcement in their area.
Nikiski’s Assembly Member Wayne Ogle created the ordinance to place the decision to Nikiski voters as to whether or not to raise their mill rate.
Ogle: “What happens next is that on June 4, at 6 pm, there will be a public meeting at the Nikiski Recreation Center to receive testimony from the people in Nikiski about it.”
Ogle, along with Dale Bagley and Blaine Gilman, were appointed to a special committee to take the public testimony in Nikiski with the help of the borough clerk and report their findings back to the Assembly.
If the assembly approves it, the question of raising the mill rate to no more than 1.5 mills will go on the October ballot.
Ogle said if voters approve that…
Ogle: “That will set up a service area and they’ll form a service area board and the board would make a decision based on whether they would want to form a police department or another selection they could make is to go out for contract police services.”
Separate from those options, there is still a possibility of the reshuffling of Alaska State Trooper positions however that depends on how Alaska’s upcoming budget is funded.