Early returns show rough start for Prop. 1

MAT-SU — With 7.77 percent of the ballots counted 30 minutes after the Mat-Su Borough polls closed at 8 p.m., Borough Prop. 1 is off to a rough start with more than 70 percent of votes cast opposed. Votes in favor of passing the proposition are 1,192 while nay votes total 2,868.

Titled the Private Property Protection Act, Prop.1 is sponsored by locals Penny Nixon and Dennis Oakland of the Mat-Su Taxpayers Association. Prop. 1 was written as an effort to halt the Mat-Su Borough passing “extreme” land use regulations by making the Borough pay landowners for any reduction in property valuation that results from its actions, Oakland said.

Opposing Prop. 1 are the Mat-Su Taxpayers Against Prop.1, Cook Inlet Region Inc., the Mat-Su Homebuilders Association and Mat-Su Valley Board of Realtors.

The groups say Prop. 1 is poorly written, vague and opens the Borough and municipalities up to costly lawsuits and monetary claims.

More updates will follow.