Emily Kwong, KCAW, Author at KCAW

Senior sales tax exemption replaced with a $350 rebate program

By a 4-3 vote, the Assembly approved eliminating the senior sales tax exemption and replacing it with an rebate program for qualifying low-income seniors.

April 24, 2018: What’s happening at tonight’s Assembly meeting?

The Sitka Assembly will look closely at taxes, drinking water, and the herring fishery when it meets in regular session tonight (04-24-17).

Early morning outage from planned maintenance work

Several hundred Sitkans lost power in the early hours this morning (04-23-18). The cause was a planned switching of units at the Green Lake Dam. The Electric Department is also planning an outage for Saturday, April 28th to replace a power pole near the National Cemetery.

Assembly gives administrator, attorney “satisfactory” reviews

In his first evaluation by the Sitka Assembly, municipal administrator Keith Brady received a satisfactory review. The Assembly also gave city attorney Brian Hanson a satisfactory review, adjusting his salary to $140,000 per his contract.

Consultants take pulse of Sitka hospital’s long-term needs

Three entities intend to submit a management proposal for Sitka’s city-owned hospital: SEARHC, Quorum Health Resources LLC, and UW Medicine in Seattle and its affiliate.

At final budget meeting, Assembly adds $300,000 to schools

The Sitka Assembly has found a way to balance the budget, finding an additional $300,000 dollars for Sitka schools through a series of cuts and transfers. The surplus could save some teaching positions, but it will be up to the Sitka School Board to decide at their April 17th meeting.

Assembly furthers tax proposals affecting senior citizens, tourism

Two tax proposals came to a stalemate at Tuesday night’s (04-10-18) meeting of the Sitka Assembly, receiving both support and resistance from the public. At the heart of the debate is a question of fairness: should citizens pay more to maintain current government and school services? And if so, which citizens?