AK: Anchorage voters will decide on alcohol tax next spring
By Devin Kelly
December 21, 2018
An alcohol tax to raise money for illegal camp cleanups, shelter beds, substance abuse treatment and other public safety issues will appear on the Anchorage city ballot in April.
The city Assembly voted 10-1 in a special meeting Thursday evening to put the tax, proposed by Mayor Ethan Berkowitz, on the ballot. The proposed tax rate is 5 percent.
“My message to the voters in Anchorage is you’ve been asking for help cleaning up the encampments and fixing some of the ongoing problems,” said Assemblyman Christopher Constant, who represents downtown Anchorage. “I’m going to vote to send one branch of that solution to you tonight.”
The move sets the stage for what will likely be a bitter battle. Business owners say the tax unfairly puts the burden for complex problems on retailers and responsible drinkers.
“We will fight this,” said Sarah Oates, the director of the Alaska Cabaret, Hotel, Restaurant and Retailers Association.