Assembly members propose 3% sales tax for Anchorage

And: Dunleavy administration advances new office to investigate complaints against school districts ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ Email not displaying correctly? [View the web version]( Good afternoon. It’s Thursday, October 10. In today's newsletter: - Two members of the Anchorage Assembly are [proposing a sales tax]( that would put a 3% tax at the point of sale on a range of consumer goods, but with many exemptions. - Alaska's state education department is [working to create a new “advocacy office”]( that will allow members of the public to lodge complaints with the state against individual school districts. - The city has[agreed to pay $300,000 to settle a lawsuit]( with a former Anchorage police officer who sued the department and municipality for racial discrimination in 2019. Anchorage garden writer Jeff Lowenfels has long advised his readers to simply leave their leaves in their yards, as they are good for the soil beneath. Some in the Alaska “yardening” community say mulching leaves on lawns makes sense, but there isn’t complete agreement, he says in [his latest column.]( Anchorage weather It's partly sunny today with a high near 43 degrees and a slight chance of scattered rain showers after last night's snow. The forecast calls for continued rain through the rest of this week, with daytime temperatures in the high 40s. Here’s what else is making headlines in Alaska today. — Megan Pacer, mpacer@adn.com [Anchorage Assembly to consider a 3% sales tax, aimed at property tax relief and city improvement projects →]( The measure, which could go before voters in April, is essentially two different tax proposals rolled into one. Two-thirds of the money collected would go toward tax relief for property owners. The other third of the sales tax would go toward quality of life improvements and amenities for city residents. ADVERTISEMENT [Dunleavy administration advances new office to investigate complaints against school districts →]( Education commissioner Deena Bishop said the new office would allow the state education department to respond to public queries without redirecting them to school districts as often. [Anchorage reaches $300K settlement with former police officer in discrimination lawsuit →]( [Jared Tuia filed suit in 2019 over claims the police department discriminated against him after he was passed over for promotions three separate times.]( [Embattled Palmer city manager resigns with $75,000 payout after 53 days in job →]( Palmer’s embattled city manager, Stephen Jellie, resigned last night during a nearly three-hour emergency closed session with the City Council. (via Mat-Su Sentinel) [Hilcorp assessed fine for hazardous waste violations on Alaska’s North Slope →]( Hilcorp Energy Co.’s North Slope unit has been fined $223,868 for several violations of the federal law that governs the management of hazardous wastes, the Environmental Protection Agency said. (via Alaska Beacon) [Fairbanks narrowly elects former Democratic state legislator as borough mayor →]( Grier Hopkins, who served two terms in the Alaska Legislature until 2023, defeated former longtime Republican state Sen. John Coghill by [0.79%]( or 154 votes. ADVERTISEMENT More from the ADN [Former Anchorage Republican senator listed in state election pamphlet as a Democratic candidate for Alaska House →]( [Air Force honors airmen for June rescue of kayaker who fell into Eklutna Lake →]( [Anchorage Wolverines look to build on last season’s successes as they move into Sullivan Arena →]( [Hurricane Milton spawns tornadoes across Florida, kills at least 5 people and knocks out power to millions →]( [Overall U.S. inflation reaches lowest point in 3 years →]( [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [Instagram]( [Click here to unsubscribe and manage your email subscriptions.]( Anchorage Daily News, 300 W 31st Ave, Anchorage, AK 99503, United States