Dear Editor: At a recent meeting the Sitka Assembly discussed the need to upgrade Lincoln Street due to its obvious deterioration.
In many ways Lincoln Street is the poster child for Sitka’s city street system which is very tired and worn out.
To solve this problem we need a streets program that has guaranteed annual funding that is approved by the voters in an election.
Otherwise funding for street projects will continue to be hit and miss, dependent on the few revenue-crumbs that are left over after more politically popular projects are funded.
When I consider the recent double-digit increases in our property tax bills, I think it is reasonable to expect decent roads to drive on.
The City’s FY 2026 budget estimates that property tax receipts will total $8.4 million over the coming budget year.
Perhaps we should designate half of our property taxes each year for our roads.
If we use a ballot initiative to reserve half of property taxes for a streets program, we can make real progress repairing the system.
The Assembly could use money collected in the first year to complete the funding package for Lincoln Street and then move on to other Sitka streets that are literally falling apart.
To be successful a Sitka city streets program should be funded for at least 20 years.
It will take a couple of years to get the program up and running, and considering how many streets need work it will take time to catch up.
Leadership for a Sitka city streets program must come from the Assembly to be successful.
Hopefully they will address this need in the near future with a ballot initiative that guarantees annual funding.
Hugh Bevan, Sitka
