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Celebration, Canoe Landing and City Budget Discussion on the Docket in Juneau next week

NOTN- Juneau’s got a busy few weeks ahead as the city prepares for the arrival of the 2026 Canoe Journey and continues discussions on the Fiscal Year 2027 budget.

The Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida will welcome canoes ashore Tuesday, June 2, during the 2026 Canoe Journey Landing in Juneau ahead of Celebration.

Community members, families and visitors are invited to gather for the event.

One landing is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Áak’w Kwáan Landing at the Auke Village Recreation Area. Parking at Auke Rec is limited, and shuttle service will run from the University of Alaska Southeast between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

A second landing is planned for 2 p.m. at the Huna Totem Corp. lot at Egan Drive and Whittier Street downtown.

Celebration begins June 3-6, held by Sealaska Heritage Institute, the theme this year is “Enduring Strength.”

Several city meetings are also scheduled Wednesday, June 3.

The Juneau Commission on Sustainability will hold a regular meeting at noon via Zoom. The Eaglecrest Board Sales and Communications Committee also meets at noon by Zoom.

Later in the day, The Assembly Finance Committee will meet at 5:30 p.m. in Assembly Chambers, with participation also available through Zoom and YouTube livestream, this is ahead of the June 8 Assembly meeting, which city officials say is the final opportunity for public input on the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget before adoption.

On May 20, the Assembly Finance Committee adopted nearly $4.7 million in proposed reductions to the budget. The reductions included cuts to partner agency grants, capital projects, city services and the restricted budget reserve.

The Assembly also introduced four ordinances May 27 that would amend the city’s Sales Tax code and generate additional tax revenue.

Those ordinances will also be discussed during the June 8 meeting.

The Assembly must adopt a final budget by June 15.

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Public hearing set for Juneau budget tomorrow night

NOTN- The City and Borough of Juneau Assembly will hold a public hearing tomorrow on its proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, including property taxes, school funding, a multi-year capital improvement plan, Eaglecrest and the Gondola Project.

The special Assembly meeting is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. and it will be followed by the Assembly Finance Committee. Residents may testify in person or via Zoom.

At the hearing, Assembly members will take testimony on several key ordinances, including a measure setting the 2026 property tax rate to fund the FY27 budget.

According to the agenda, officials will also consider a $551.2 million operating budget for city and borough services, along with a separate $97.2 million budget for the Juneau School District.

In addition, the Assembly will review a resolution adopting the city’s capital improvement program for fiscal years 2027 through 2032, which outlines infrastructure priorities and planned project spending.

Another resolution would set aside up to $2.3 million from the city’s restricted budget reserve to cover an anticipated operating deficit at Eaglecrest Ski Area.

Separately, the Assembly is expected to introduce an ordinance to begin terminating a revenue-sharing agreement with Goldbelt Inc. tied to the proposed gondola project at Eaglecrest. City officials say the project is no longer financially feasible after cost estimates rose to more than $37 million, up from initial projections of about $10 million.

This is still up in the air, but under this agreement Juneau would be required to repay Goldbelt’s $10 million investment plus interest if the deal is terminated. Repayment would include general funds and previously allocated project money.

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Juneau’s election period officially begins as ballots are mailed to voters

(Photo by James Brooks/Alaska Beacon)

NOTN- Ballots for the 2025 City and Borough of Juneau municipal election are being mailed today to all registered voters, marking the official start of the election period that runs through Oct. 7.

Voters can return their ballots by mail, deposit them in one of five secure drop boxes located around Juneau, or vote in person at City Hall or the Mendenhall Valley Public Library.

Drop boxes open today and will remain available 24 hours a day until 8 p.m. on Election Day.

This year’s ballot includes races for three Assembly seats, an areawide member, and representatives from Districts 1 and 2 , along with three Board of Education positions.

Ballots must be postmarked by Oct. 7 to be counted.

Official results are scheduled to be certified and published Oct. 21, following the review of ballots.

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Juneau assembly advances Burns Building purchase as new City Hall

NOTN- Juneau officials are moving forward with plans to buy two floors of the  Michael J. Burns building downtown, calling it the most financially responsible option for consolidating city staff after voters rejected a proposal for a new City Hall.

At a work session this week, the assembly voted to advance negotiations on the purchase to the full assembly for final approval. A decision could come within the next month.

Assembly member Christine Woll, head of the Finance Committee said the city’s current office spaces are aging and expensive to maintain. “The Burns building has emerged as the most financially responsible option, and makes the most sense to bring all our city employees into a single building that’s not leaking like our other locations right now. And so last night, we officially moved that decision to negotiate purchase to the full assembly, so we’ll ultimately make that final decision in about a month. But this was the last big stop to say, yes, this is what we’re interested in doing.”

If approved, the city would form a condominium association with the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, which owns part of the building. Renovations would be required to adapt the space for municipal use.