Dear Editor: As longtime Sitka residents of over 20 years, we’re writing to express our deep concern about Ballot Measure 1 and its potential impact on families like ours.
My husband Sheldon and I have built our lives here in this beautiful community, raising our three boys amid Sitka’s natural splendor and tight-knit community. Like many locals, we both work regular jobs to cover our basic expenses, but the truth is that without our tourism-dependent side hustles, we simply couldn’t afford to continue calling Sitka home, support our kids’ hobbies, take occasional family vacations, or contribute to local fundraisers and charities.
The cruise industry doesn’t just benefit large corporations – it creates opportunities for everyday families like ours. Both of us maintain our primary jobs, but we’ve also developed several small tourism services that provide the additional income necessary to keep our family afloat in a community with an increasingly high cost of living. These side businesses aren’t luxuries for us; they’re essential financial lifelines that allow us to stay in the community we love.
The statistics tell the story: tourism supports over 900 jobs in Sitka, contributing $42 million in annual earnings to our local economy. Those aren’t just numbers – they represent families like ours who depend on visitor spending to make ends meet.
Beyond our immediate financial concerns, we worry about the community resources our boys rely on. Without tourism dollars flowing into Sitka, what happens to Parks and Recreation programs? School funding? Sports teams? The swimming pool? These aren’t extras – they’re fundamental to our children’s development and wellbeing.
Over 200 business licenses were issued in Sitka last year, largely due to cruise tourism. Each represents someone’s dream, someone’s livelihood. Without this economic engine, we fear many families will face the heartbreaking choice we’re desperately trying to avoid: leaving Sitka for more affordable communities.
We understand the concerns about managing tourism growth, but Ballot Measure 1 takes the wrong approach. Instead of finding balance, it threatens to undermine the very economic foundation that allows working families like ours to remain here. We encourage others to support the City’s Tourism Commission that is collaboratively trying to implement changes to find a balance that works for the entire community, and not just a select few.
For the sake of our three boys and all the children growing up in this special place, we urge our neighbors to vote NO on Ballot Measure 1. Let’s work together to manage tourism thoughtfully without sacrificing the livelihoods of local families.
Importantly, if you don’t show up to vote, your opinions won’t be heard. Show up for Sitka! The special election on May 28 is coming up fast. Make a plan to vote NO on Ballot Measure 1 by ensuring you’re registered to vote. If you’re unsure of your voter registration status, check it online at myvoterportal.alaska.gov.
If you haven’t registered yet, here’s what to do:
Download and complete the Alaska Voter Registration Application: bit.ly/4inmF4G
Submit it in person at the Sitka Municipal Clerk’s Office (100 Lincoln Street), or at a DMV or other voter registration agency
Or mail it to a Division of Elections office – it must be postmarked by April 28.
Don’t wait. Register now so you’re ready to vote NO on May 28.
Meggan and Sheldon Turner
Sitka Residents for 20+ years
