PALMER -- The Matanuska-Susitna Assembly rejected a measure that would have allowed the Assembly to spend borough money to influence ballot propositions.
The unanimous "no" came after a wave of opposition from the audience Tuesday that labeled the move as an attempt to use taxpayer money to defeat the citizen-driven Proposition 1 on the October ballot.
Proposition 1, modeled after Measure 37, which passed in Oregon in 2005, seeks to compensate private property owners who have lost the value or use of their property due to restrictive land-use laws.
"It seems now the borough will start using taxpayer money to work directly against individual constitutional rights," said Penny Nixon, who sponsored Proposition 1. "This is indeed Stalinism, ladies and gentlemen, in the best Orwellian form."
The measure the Assembly considered Tuesday would have allowed the Assembly to advocate for or against ballot measures such as Proposition 1, sales tax proposals or bond propositions.
Borough law currently limits the Assembly and borough employees to taking a neutral stance and providing unbiased information.
State law allows municipalities to get more involved in elections.
Although it is illegal to back or oppose candidates, state law allows municipalities to influence ballot propositions or questions, provided they appropriate money specifically for that purpose.
"There has been a feeling by borough staff that providing information on ballot propositions ... that the borough is unable to, by code, correct inflammatory or incorrect statements that are being made in the public," said Assemblywoman Michelle Church, who sponsored the ordinance.
When opponents of zoning laws proposed a few years ago handed out fliers saying the zoning measure would prohibit backyard gardens, Church said borough employees felt they were not allowed to dispute the claim.
Church's political opponents in the audience were quick to say that such a change in the law could come back to haunt the Assembly.
"Remember, the sword cuts both ways. One day there will be a different Assembly and/or manager," said Pio Cottini, a surveyor and property rights advocate. "Do not use taxpayers' money to influence our elections."
Although other Assembly members agreed the borough needed to do a better job at getting word out about borough proposals, they said Church's proposal was flawed.
"I feel that what we would like to do as far as providing information to our residents either about our work here or what's being proposed can be currently done, and if we're not doing a good job of providing that information, then we need to work on that job," said deputy mayor Lynne Woods. "I don't see where this ordinance before us will change anything."
Find Daily News reporter Rindi White online at www.adn.com/contact/rwhite or call 352-6709.
