The City and Borough of Juneau (CBJ) identified a typo in the ballot language for Proposition A: Authorization to Renew a Temporary 3% Areawide Sales Tax after being contacted by a member of the public yesterday, October 1. This typo does not affect voters or the implementation of the proposed extension of the existing sales tax.

The question posed on the ballot by Proposition A asks voters to select either, “Extend 3% sales tax five years. Yes,” or “Extend 3% sales tax five years. No.”  While CBJ sales tax code and previous implementation of the 3% temporary sales tax identifies sales tax as including both goods and services, the proposition summary preceding the question to voters is missing the word “services” in the section noted below. The ballot further summarizes the proposition.

From the ballot:

“Shall the City and Borough of Juneau, Alaska, levy and collect a temporary 3% areawide sales tax on the price of all taxable sales of goods and [services] delivered in the City and Borough, effective July 1, 2027, for a period of five years only, in addition to the 1% permanent areawide sales tax and the 1% temporary areawide sales tax?

As noted above, the word “services” is missing from the ballot proposition summary only. The word “services” is included in the title of the legislation (Ordinance 2026-13) and all other language in the ballot proposition is consistent with how this tax has been levied since 1983.

“This is a truly unfortunate typo that should have been caught and corrected during the legislative process, before ballots were printed and distributed last month,” said CBJ City Manager Katie Koester. “To be completely transparent, we wanted to immediately communicate this typo with voters and provide assurance that it does not impact their vote.”

What does this mean for the October 2026 Ballot?

The individual typo does not affect the question asked of voters. Proposition A asks voters whether to extend the continually renewed temporary 3% areawide sales tax, which includes goods and services as defined in CBJ code. Voters should answer the question posted in the ballot, which is should the 3% temporary sales tax continue for the next five years, yes or no.

If Proposition A is approved, it will be implemented as a continuation of the existing 3% temporary sales tax. CBJ utilizes code when implementing sales tax legislation. Chapter 69.05 of the Uniform Sales Tax Code levies sales tax on retail sales, rentals, and services performed in the borough, with specific exemptions, including the recently adopted exemption on essential food and utilities.

After discovery of the typo, CBJ staff reviewed the ballot language process and identified actions to prevent this from happening in the future. Through this evaluation, staff went back to previous elections and discovered that the ballot language for the 2021 renewal of the 3% temporary sales tax included the same typo. Preceding renewal propositions – including the original proposition from 1983 – did not contain the typo.

The 2021 renewal of the 3% temporary sales tax was implemented in accordance with tax code. The intent of the 2026 renewal is to follow the same implementation.

About Proposition A:

Approved and renewed by Juneau voters since first adopted in 1983, the 3% temporary sales tax is put before the voters every five years. If approved, taxes will be collected on goods and services and it is the intent of the Assembly to allocate revenues from the temporary 3% areawide sales tax as proposed on the October 2026 ballot and outlined below:

• 1% to police, fire, street maintenance, snow removal, EMT/ambulance service, parks and recreation, libraries, and other general purposes;
• 1% to roads, drainage, retaining walls, sidewalks, stairs, and other capital improvement projects; and
• 1% allocated annually by the Assembly among capital improvements, an emergency budget reserve, and other general public services.

More information about all three ballot propositions is available in the October 2026 Voter Information Guide. Information about the October 2026 Municipal Election, including how, where and when to cast your ballot is available at juneau.org/clerk/elections.