M E M O R A N D U M
KENAI PENINSULA BOROUGH
144 N. Binkley
Soldotna, AK 99669
Phone: (907) 262-4441
To: Ron Drathman, Assembly President
Assembly members
From: Grace Merkes, Assembly member
Date: May 7, 1999
Subject: Ordinance 99-30,
Prohibiting referral of substantially the same propositions within two years
Many constituents have expressed concerns to me about the practice of repeatedly
submitting virtually the same propositions to the voters each year. They believe this
wastes taxpayers' money and discourages people from voting because of the perception that
the election results will be reconsidered again the following year.
If enacted, this ordinance would stop the assembly from submitting substantially the same
propositions to the voters within two years. Because general elections do not always fall
exactly two years apart, it allows a proposition first included in a general election to
be included in the second following general election, even if the second election is less
than two years later. It also defines "substantially the same" to include
questions covering the same subject matter, even if the questions differ in degree. For
example, a proposition to increase an authorized mill levy is substantially the same as a
previous one if it only differs by the amount of the proposed authorized mill levy. Thus,
such a question could not be presented to the voters within two years of the first
question.