|
During the July 4th festival in Kenai, a team of
volunteers administered a 10 question survey to 161 people selected at random
from the crowd. The purpose was to determine how much
public support there is for borough participation in Arctic Winter
Games 2006. The questions and results are show below:
1. Are you a resident of the Kenai Peninsula
Borough?
Yes: 93.2% No: 5.6%
Don’t Know/Not Sure: 1.2%
2. Do you pay real property tax in the Kenai Peninsula Borough?
Yes: 69.4% No: 28.5%
Don’t Know/Not Sure: 2.1%
3. Do you support borough involvement in producing Arctic
Winter Games 2006?
Yes: 48.4% No: 33.2%
Don’t Know/Not Sure: 18.4%
4. Should our borough consider spending over $5 million public tax
dollars in exchange for $200,000 to $300,000 in Arctic Winter Games revenue?
Yes: 16.7% No: 68.6%
Don’t Know/Not Sure: 14.7%
5. Do you think the borough mayor and assembly members should be
required to follow the same laws they make for the public?
Yes: 95.7% No: 1.8%
Don’t Know/Not Sure: 2.5%
6. Would you support borough involvement in building a new ski
resort in Homer or Cooper Landing for the Arctic Winter Games?
Yes: 19.1% No: 62.5%
Don’t Know/Not Sure: 18.4%
7.
Would you use
a new ice rink in Homer, an indoor soccer field or Biathlon range in Soldotna,
or ski resort in Homer or Cooper Landing?
Yes: 27.3% No:
60% Don’t Know/Not Sure: 12.7%
8. Do you want our borough to finance the
construction and pay future operational expenses of these facilities?
Yes: 13.6% No:
67% Don’t Know/Not Sure: 19.4%
9. Should the borough underwrite and insure the
financial success of the Arctic Winter Games?
Yes: 15.7% No: 64.7%
Don’t Know/Not Sure: 19.6%
10. Are you willing to pay higher taxes to
support the Arctic Winter Games and operational costs of any new facilities
constructed?
Yes: 11.4% No: 79.7%
Don’t Know/Not Sure: 8.9%
Bonus Question (344 votes cast):
Can the governor spend your PFD better than YOU?
Yes:
9.5% No:
88.6% Don’t Know/Not Sure:
1.9%
Question 1 and 2,
revealed the majority of those surveyed are borough residents and property tax
payers.
In question 3, less
than half support borough involvement in producing the games. Later these
numbers quickly eroded when presented with cost figures and use of public tax
dollars.
The majority in
question 4, did not approve of using public money for such a
small return on their "investment".
In question 5 the
majority think borough officials should play by the same rules as the
public is required to.
Questions 6 through
9 show little support for the borough building new facilities, for paying future
maintenance and operational costs of any new facilities, and few would use them if
built.
Question 10 clearly
shows lack of public support for the Arctic Winter Games if new taxes
are required.
In our bonus question the majority once again said the
public can spend their PFD better than government! The governor and
legislature need to pay attention to these HUGE numbers!!!
On July 8th at 7 pm, the regular KPB Assembly
meeting will be held in Soldotna to hear public comments on Ordinance 2003-24. If
Ordinance 2003-24 is approved, it will
authorize the dispersal of the first $200,000 to the "host society", which will
then use our money to promote and operate these games.
The "host society" has now been formed, with Borough Mayor
Dale Bagley, president; Soldotna Mayor Dave Carey, vice president; CEDD Business
Manager Jack Brown, Secretary; and Pam Foster, Treasurer.
The proposed operating budget
for producing Arctic Winter Games 2006 is over $5 million,
plus an unknown amount for capital projects.
People with questions or concerns should contact assembly members and plan to
attend the borough meeting on July 8th.
Sample of questions the borough assembly need to answer
before approving any money for these games:
1. Exactly what is the total financial exposure to borough property taxpayers?
2. How much will the mill rate increase to pay operational expenses for the
games?
3. Exactly what new facilities will be built?
4. How much will any new facilities cost to build?
5. Where will the money come from to build new facilities?
6. How much will it cost to keep each facility open when the games are over?
7.
What will be the operations and maintenance
expense for the life of any new facilities, and who will be responsible for
these costs?
8. What will be the real property tax mill rate increase required to pay for
keeping any new facilities open?
9. Is there a conflict of interest with borough
administration personnel serving as officers on the "host society" board?
Contact
Borough Mayor Dale Bagley
and Assembly members today, and get answers to YOUR questions!
Plan to attend the KPB Assembly meeting in
Soldotna on July 8th at 7 pm. while
Ordinance 2003-24 is being heard.
|
