KIB Assembly Brings Up Consolidation

Kayla Desroches/KMXT

Consolidation of the Kodiak Island Borough and the City of Kodiak is on the agenda for Thursday’s Kodiak Island Borough Assembly regular meeting, but the assembly is just feeling out public interest at this point.

An ordinance on the agenda authorizes the submission of an advisory question to voters during the October borough election to determine support. The ordinance is by Assemblyman Kyle Crow’s request, and he said at last Thursday’s work session that Kodiak has too much government for this size of a community.

“We have this body of elected officials, the city’s body of elected officials and a mayor, and we have city managers and borough managers, and if you looked at the last study, you’ll see that the experts agreed that consolidation would provide benefits just like many major corporations do that. One corporation swallows up a smaller corporation. They have a single attorney instead of two attorneys. It’s a combination of efforts.”

He said he hasn’t made up his mind yet because he hasn’t seen all of the facts, but the investigation into consolidation will be comprehensive. He says the ordinance just “opens the door.”

Consolidation isn’t a new topic. Local groups have pursued it a handful of times, including in the late 80s and early 90s.

Assemblyman Larry LeDoux said the assembly should touch base with the city council.

“So that they know exactly what we were thinking and might even support it in terms of that, and so I don’t really know where the city is on this, but it would seem like they would be equal partners in the process one way or the other.”

Deputy City Manager Mike Tvenge was present at the work session, and a letter from the city council in the regular meeting agenda packet requests that the assembly sit down with the council to discuss consolidation before moving forward.

The regular meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the assembly chambers Thursday. You can also listen in live at the same time on KMXT.