Support varies on ballot measures
Alaska voters in Fairbanks and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough rejected sales taxes Tuesday while measures that could lead to increased availability of booze were winning in Bethel and Kotzebue. The Fairbanks 3% sales tax proposal was tied to a measure to reduce property taxes. The plan could have increased spending on roads, police and fire protection by $8 million. Former Mayor Steve Thompson, a supporter, said critics used scare tactics to defeat the measure.