Juneau voters will see $23M in public health and safety improvement bonds on October ballot

The Juneau Assembly unanimously approved two ballot measures on Monday that could add nearly $23 million to the city’s debt for public health and safety improvements.

If passed by Juneau voters this fall election, the bonds would help fund upgrades to Juneau’s public safety communication system and the Juneau Douglas Wastewater Treatment Plant.  

The public safety bond asks to borrow $12.7 million and the wastewater bond asks for $10 million. Following the Assembly’s vote last night, they’ll both be put to voters on the Oct. 1 municipal election ballot. 

The $12.7 million bond measure will help cover the cost of replacing the radio system used by the Juneau Police Department and Capital City Fire/Rescue. 

Police say the current system is outdated — it was only designed for an eight-year lifespan, and that expired a decade ago. Though it’s still operating, they say it’s causing dead zones and is no longer reliable. In total, the project is expected to cost around $25 million. 

The other $10 million bond measure will help cover the cost of replacing the wastewater clarifier building at the Juneau Douglas Wastewater Treatment Plant. That plant services Thane, Downtown and Douglas. 

City officials say the replacement is needed due to decades of erosion.