Anchorage’s first mail-in municipal election saw a surprisingly strong return of ballots with 50,506 or 23 percent of registered voters voting. Incumbent Mayor Ethan Berkowitz easily won reelection, which was expected. However, local voters do appear in an upbeat mood in approving all bond issues. These include $50.7 million for local school improvements; $33.9 million for road and storm drainage upgrades; $3.7 million for parks and trails; $2.6 million for re department facility improvements and $1.1 million for police facilities. The results show optimism in the community despite the state’s recession, particularly in the trails and parks bonds (those usually go down in bad times). However, the bond package was conservative and focused on needs that are supported. The purchase by Chugach Electric of Anchorage’s city-owned Municipal Light & Power was approved two-to-one.

Interestingly, introduction of Anchorage’s first gasoline tax March 1, raising prices 10 cents per gallon, had little negative impact on Berkowitz. State legislators will take note of that. The new tax is expected to raise $14 million, allowing the municipality to rely less on property taxes. About 20 percent of the tax will be paid by people living outside the municipality, mainly commuters from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Alaska Gov. Bill Walker has proposed an increase in the state’s eight-cent-a-gallon gasoline tax, now lowest in the nation. The idea has languished in the Legislature, however.