Dear Editor: I wish to comment on the Ballot Proposition No. 2, which would require all citizens initiative applications to include a professionally prepared Economic Impact Study Report (EISR).
I oppose this initiative as an unnecessary roadblock to a long-held Democratic process: that being citizens bringing initiatives up for a public vote.
Please take a look at tinyurl.com/sitkavotes as suggested by Ms. Sagel in a Sept. 11 letter to the editor. Sitka has had only one citizen-generated ballot initiative since 2004. Most of the rest were initiatives generated by the City of Sitka, which would be exempt from this initiative.
Yes, we had one on May 28, 2025, which I found brought up much-needed community dialogue and engagement dealing with a way forward dealing with cruise ship tourism.
I would oppose any restrictions on ballot initiatives unless they go against the U.S./Alaska Constitutions. We need more community engagement, not less. I find Proposition No. 2 to be a way to hold back the initiative process and community involvement.
John Murray, Sitka
