At a community meeting in Ninilchik on Thursday, dozens brought questions and concerns about a proposed Ninilchik Recreational Service Area, which might levy a new property tax to support the community’s pool and other services.

Many attendees said they were supportive of keeping a pool open in their community, for water safety and for recreation, while others said they didn’t want to increase their tax burden.

The Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly on Aug. 5 will consider an ordinance that would create the service area if it is approved by voters. The only people eligible to vote are those who would have their property taxes affected by the change. A map included in meeting documents says that area stretches along roughly 30 miles of the Sterling Highway — from just south of Clam Gulch nearly to Stariski State Recreational Site.

The meeting this month was held as part of the public hearing schedule for the ordinance. Members of the assembly and borough staff spent over an hour fielding testimony and answering questions about the proposal.

Brent Johnson, who represents Ninilchik on the assembly, helmed the meeting. He was joined by Willy Dunne, who represents much of the southern peninsula beginning at Anchor Point; and Leslie Morton, who represents Sterling. Borough administration was also represented by Finance Director Brandi Harbaugh, Planning Director Robert Ruffner, Borough Clerk Michele Turner and Dana Cannava from the borough mayor’s office.

“We’re here because Ninilchik Pool is being cut,” Johnson said. The pool was eliminated from the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District’s budget for this year and lost its funding effective on July 1. The pool is still running, though, because of large donations by community members that are expected to keep the pool operational at least into August.

Johnson credited Debbie Cary, former president of the KPBSD board of education, with driving the effort to create a service area. The idea, he said, is to tax property holders and use that funding to support the pool. There are questions playing out at the borough and state level as to whether this plan will work, he said, as the borough has provided maximum funding to schools and funds to the pool — located inside Ninilchik School — need to be firmly distinct from school funding. The school also will need to pay the borough to use the facility.

A possible budget shared during the meeting describes a mill rate of 1 for the affected area. The amount of money someone pays in property tax in a fiscal year is calculated by dividing the mill rate by 1,000 and then multiplying that number by the assessed property value. That means for every $100,000 in property that a person owns, they would pay $100.

Information included in a mayor’s report about the proposal says that there’s an estimated taxable property value of $409 million, meaning that the service area would generate around $409,000 in revenue — supplemented by donations and fees for a proposed budget worth $442,000.

A quarter of that total goes to hiring one 30-hour-a-week pool manager. There are not expected to be any lifeguards at the pool so that person will run the building, maintain the pool and staff operations themselves. The budget also describes significant spending for pool chemicals, maintenance, utilities and insurance.

Long term, Carey hopes that the recreation service area can stretch beyond just running the pool, to put on programming in arts, music and cooking. If created, the service area will be run by a locally elected or appointed board of directors with input into budgeting and programming.

“As long as the people in the community are sitting on this board and making those decisions, it’s safer than the borough making those decisions for you,” Johnson said.

Several people said they weren’t supportive of increasing their taxes, even to maintain the pool.

“Unfortunately, as a middle-aged woman raising a family here in Ninilchik, I can say I would wholly oppose voting for additional taxes if it came October,” Tiffany Johansen said. Taxes are increasing already, she said, and Ninilchik isn’t seeing increasing returns in services.

Ninilchik, Dick Hawkins said, is being left out compared to other, larger communities in the borough. He said a pool is “essential,” but also that he’s undecided whether or not he would support taking on the burden of running the pool so the school district can redirect funds elsewhere.

Cary said she’d continue to push to keep a pool in Ninilchik. The borough assembly will decide on Aug. 5 whether to advance the question to voters, who then would get their chance to weigh in during the Oct. 7 election. Cary said she’ll fundraise to promote the service area and to maintain the pool after funding dries up in August.

If the pool is closed before a service area can be installed, the costs of refilling and retreating the water will be greater than uninterrupted service.

“It’s going to cost some money,” Cary said. “I care so much about the community and the community being able to have some resource for ourselves, something that makes us unique and something that keeps our minds and bodies strong … My hope is that, come October, we vote yes on this.”

More information about the proposal, including a map of the proposed boundary, the mayor’s report and the text of the ordinance, can be found at kpb.legistar.com.

Reach reporter Jake Dye at jacob.dye@peninsulaclarion.com.

Debbie Cary speaks during a community meeting about the proposed Ninilchik Recreation Service Area at the Ninilchik Community Center in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Thursday, July 17, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Kenai Peninsula Borough Finance Director Brandi Harbaugh fields questions during a community meeting about the proposed Ninilchik Recreation Service Area at the Ninilchik Community Center in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Thursday, July 17, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)

Dick Hawkins speaks during a community meeting about the proposed Ninilchik Recreation Service Area at the Ninilchik Community Center in Ninilchik, Alaska, on Thursday, July 17, 2025. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)