Prop. 1 prompts Palmer to pony up

MAT-SU — Proposition 1 on the Oct. 2 Mat-Su Borough ballot scares Palmer City Council enough to put its money where its fright is.

The council is meeting today at noon to discuss whether it should spend up to $5,000 on a public education campaign about the Private Property Protection Act — Prop. 1. Council members meet at noon today in a special meeting to consider how aggressively the municipality will be in getting the word out about Prop. 1.

“We feel like this should be addressed and the people should know the facts before they go to the polls,” Palmer Mayor John Combs said.

While some believe spending up to $5,000 may be necessary to help voters make an informed decision, others question using tax monies in an attempt to influence an election.

“It’s a waste of the taxpayers’ money,” said Palmer resident Dennis Oakland, a member of the Mat-Su Taxpayers Association and along with Wasilla resident Penny Nixon co-sponsor of the act.

In a nutshell, if passed, the Private Property Protection Act would allow property owners to receive compensation from public entities if a land use regulation negatively affects the owners property value.

Oakland believes many opponents to the proposition are using scare tactics to make sure voters don’t approve the measure. Many opponents rely on the argument that since Oregon voters passed a similar law in 2004, billions of dollars in claims have been filed, creating a major problem for the state.

“Proposition 1 will prevent that type of extremism from happening,” Oakland said.

Even if some changes to the current proposition could be made, Combs believes it is not needed.

“I am firmly against the whole proposition,” he said.

The ambiguous language of Prop. 1 could cause property owners to file claims for the wrong reasons, he said. Also, it could make necessary developments like road upgrades more costly and harder to implement.

While Palmer could spend money on an information campaign, Wasilla City Council isn’t likely to follow suit.

Wasilla council member Mark Ewing also is not a fan of Prop. 1, but doesn’t see a need for the city to take a direct and expensive approach in educating voters about the proposed law. Ewing said he trusts Mat-Su residents will not support a proposition that could cost public entities millions of dollars in court fees and lawsuits.

The Palmer council special meeting begins at noon at Palmer City Hall.