Sterling voters are unlikely to consider increasing property taxes to support community recreation when they head to the voting booth later this year. That’s after the group behind the effort decided to withdraw their proposal to raise taxes for a recreation service area. The withdrawal came after an hourslong town hall that drew mixed input.
The gym at the Sterling Community Center is buzzing with chatter on Monday. About 100 people mill about, sitting on folding chairs or finding more to accommodate the growing crowd. Audrey Lebrec is the center’s board secretary. She opened the town hall by reading a letter of support from Board President Michelle Hartley.
“Since the closing of Sterling Elementary, the need for a strong community gathering place has become even greater,” she said. “While the Sterling Community Center has always been available for these things, establishing a recreation service area will help fill the gap with a dependable community hub.”
Kenai Peninsula school board members voted earlier this year to close Sterling Elementary School as part of budget cuts. The decision was met with fierce opposition from some who said the school was more than just a place of learning.
The public meeting gave community members an opportunity to weigh in on a petition to create a recreation service area, which the borough certified in June. The idea came from the center’s board of directors, who say the facility needs more financial support to stay open.
As proposed, the service area would bump property taxes for some Sterling residents by one-fourth of a mill. That amounts to an extra $25 of annual taxes per $100,000 of a property’s assessed value. If approved, the borough estimates the extra tax would generate $182,458 per year across 4,018 taxable pieces of land.
The tax proposal was a key source of heartburn among those who spoke against the petition.
Jacob Burton is a poultry farmer who homeschools his six kids on 37 off Robinson Loop Road. He thinks his family is the target demographic for the Sterling Community Center. But he says property taxes are already burdensome.
“It's just not anything we have really found as much value in as, what I suppose is advertised,” he said. “And so, similar to what was just said, that is not something that is a substantial enough benefit to us to offset an increase in tax.”
Multiple people who spoke also criticized the petition’s lack of a detailed spending plan. That’s something Jesse Linzey wants.
“Let's just be clear on where money's going,” he said. “For myself, I'm not against that. What’s that like per month? About worth a coffee. For me that's not a big deal. As far as the financial part of it, I'm not against that. But I do want to see again where my money is going. It's still my money even after I've paid the taxes.”
Many in favor of creating the service area say a dedicated community gathering space is more important than ever since the local school closed. And some say they want to pay more taxes to support the rec center.
Darrell Keifer and his wife helped bring the first pickleball court to Sterling to share their love for the racquet sport with others. He says it's important for Sterling residents to be able to connect with one another, particularly in the winter when more people struggle with their mental health.
“When I was a kid, I had fields to play on,” he said. “I'm a Baby Boomer, so the greatest generation paid for that, and I feel now it's my turn to step up to the plate.”
Melissa Daugherty grew up in Sterling and used to serve on the center’s board of directors. She says the center has historically relied on people prioritizing community as much as individual needs.
“We need to ask ourselves, how do we protect what generations before us worked so hard to build?” she said. “Yes, this center provides recreation, but the heart of this building is community. It also gives us incredible opportunity to offer activities for all ages, from children and families to adults and seniors.”
The day after the town hall, the petition sponsors withdrew their proposal. In a letter to the borough assembly, the Sterling Community Center Board said it’s clear many community members don’t want to pay more taxes to support the center. But the board also issued a call to action.
"We still need help, so we are asking you, our Sterling neighbors to, donate some of your time, and energies to help us help the community,” the letter says. “Let us know what skill you have and what you can contribute.”
Borough code requires citizen petitions to get assembly approval before advancing to the ballot. Monday’s town hall came the day before the assembly was scheduled to vote on whether to advance the petition to the November municipal election. Because the petition was withdrawn, borough assembly members did not vote to advance a ballot question during their meeting.
