Juneau -- The Alaska Senate Thursday passed House Bill 133, which supports local control of the mechanism under which the approximately 200 service areas in Alaska are constituted.

HB 133 establishes who should vote on the abolishment and alteration of a service area under three scenarios:

1. Abolishment of a service area would be subject to approval by a majority of the voters residing in the service area;
2. Abolishment and replacement of a service area would be subject to approval separately by a majority of the voters residing in the existing service area AND a majority of the voters residing in the proposed service area but outside the existing service area;
3. Alteration of a service area, or combining it with another service area, must be approved, separately, by a majority of the voters who vote on the question and who reside in each of the service areas or in a proposed service area affected by the proposal.

Fire Service areas are included in this legislation, but are treated in a different manner from road service areas in one instance: fire service areas are given the right to add small areas (less than a 6 percent increase in area size) without a vote of the residents in the area. This will save money for the fire service areas by decreasing the number of elections needed to add small areas of newly developed homes.

"HB 133 has support throughout service areas in Alaska," said Representative Con Bunde (R-Anchorage), sponsor of HB 133. "Its adoption would settle a long-time debate about who is entitled to vote during the creation, alteration, or abolishment of an existing service area."

House Bill 133 passed the Senate 18-2.

Attachments:

• Sponsor Statement

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