The city is asking voters to fund a new city hall through a $27 million bond. What are your thoughts?

Jeff Jones

Candidate for Areawide Assembly

Absolutely not. The company I work for, we do maintenance for the school district. We know what kind of shape the school district and the hospital are in. We need to focus in other directions. The schools are in shambles, and they need to be fixed before we build a new city hall. Do we need a new city hall? Maybe. But I don’t think now is the time. I think we need to focus on other things.

Nano Brooks

Candidate for Areawide Assembly

I think there is a lot that needs to happen with the city hall scenario. I’m not a fan of any position where the city is losing money, but before any new building goes up, we need to address the processes and systems that got the current facility into $15 million in deferred maintenance, because we don’t want that to happen to a new facility.

Ella Adkison

Candidate for Areawide Assembly

We absolutely need a new city hall. The current setup is unsustainable, paying nearly $1 million in rent in perpetuity – hopefully Juneau is going to be here forever – and also we have city employees in places that aren’t ideal for them to work and are taking up potential housing spaces for our community. A new city hall would also congregate all of city services in one place with parking, which makes the city and the Assembly and everything you need to do with the city much more accessible to Juneauites. We’re at this nexus where we either need to invest a lot of money in a city hall that’s old and really not working for us, or we spend that money on a better city hall that will be there forever and suit Juneauites’ needs.

JoAnn Wallace

Candidate for Areawide Assembly

I am against a new city hall at this time, mainly because the voters just voted it down in October. I feel like no should be no for now, and I also feel like we’re going to have a lot of commercial space opening up in our town in the next year or two that could also be good options. But I feel like for now, it needs to be a no.

Paul Kelly

Candidate for Areawide Assembly

My thoughts are that they went about, procedurally, the wrong way. The pre-appropriated money, and they put it on the ballot after it was rejected without even considering what other options were available. I think there should have at least been some consideration. But that’s an issue that came out early when I was out knocking doors – people had a lot of objections to it. So I went and toured the current city hall. I have pictures of bags hanging from the roof to contain leaks, I have carpet that is in disrepair and it can’t be repaired because there would need to be asbestos remediation, which would have both financial and workflow consequences to the city. And also there’s the added issue that we’re renting four buildings right now. So I think it actually would pencil out more for the taxpayers of Juneau  to build a new city hall.

Emily Mesch

Candidate for Areawide Assembly

I think most of Juneau understands that a new city hall is a necessity. The question is how we go about it, and I think that’s where the disagreement is. I’m glad to see it on the ballot again, slightly modified. I think those are the two issues that are different this year than last year: last year it was a higher amount that was on the ballot, and people thought we were going to be able to use the Walmart building, and now that it’s been bought by U-Haul, I think people understand that that’s not an option, so I think they’re more likely to approve the plan that the Assembly put forward. I think it’s a good plan, but it does need the approval of the citizens of Juneau before it moves forward.

Laura Martinson McDonnell

Candidate for Areawide Assembly

First of all, I really wish this issue hadn’t become so divisive. I feel like almost as if this is becoming a one-issue election and I think that’s really unfortunate because we don’t have the luxury of just worrying about one issue. We have a lot of issues to worry about in this community, a lot of issues that are frankly more important than this one. It’s unfortunate that we got here and I really understand how we got to this place. I think everybody’s concerns are pretty valid, especially those folks who are frustrated and feeling unheard. But just from a point of fiscal responsibility, I will be voting yes for a new city hall because we’ve got to move forward and stop renting and own our own property, and have a long-term vision for Juneau that we’re proud of. I do have a long term vision for Juneau. I’m proud of this capital city and I think we need to put our best foot forward. But we also have a fiduciary responsibility to the people to spend their money wisely, and this is the best way to do it.

Ivan Nance

Candidate for Areawide Assembly

I think the idea is basically good, basically I give it a thumbs up, although I’m not sure about the financing at this point. But it needs to be explained better, otherwise it probably would have passed the first time. But I’ve gone down and been in the building that we have now, and I can see that it really doesn’t match what I think a 21st century city office should be. So I’m in favor of the new city hall, but I think it needs to be presented better and more clearly to the people of Juneau. And in particular, I want to know more about what happens to the existing facility – what value do we get out of that?

Michele Stuart-Morgan

Candidate for Areawide Assembly

I think we need a new city hall. If you’ve been in the old city hall building, you know. I read the article Rorie Watt put out. He’s been the city manager for 30 years. I agree with that. I would like to see the specific proposals for the monies, but I think if we’re going to keep going forward in Juneau as a great place, city hall is a great place to start. I just think it’s wild that we are the city and we rent city hall.* I think it would be a good investment to build a new city hall and some other things downtown.

*Editor’s note: The City and Borough of Juneau owns the city hall building at 155 South Seward Street but rents office space in four other buildings downtown.

Dorene Lorenz

Candidate for Areawide Assembly

This is one where I kind of wonder about the math. Because if you go with the square footage of what they’re asking for for the total amount, it ends up being over $900 per square foot and we already own the land. In comparison, if you go to Manhattan and you’re making a high-rise, it’s about $675 a square foot. So I’m wondering where those extra dollars are going. I’m not saying this is a horrible project, I’m not saying it’s a project I don’t like. I just don’t understand the mathematics to it. 

I also don’t appreciate the way it’s been sold to the city. I don’t think the voters have really gotten behind the idea of this particular building at this price point in this particular space, and I think you need to have that consensus before you start moving forward and actually setting aside money for a project. I completely agree that we need to get out of the situation we’re currently in. It’s untenable. But I don’t know that this is necessarily the best way to go, and I really don’t like that they’re spending $50,000 to convince voters to do something instead of just educate them on what the facts are.

David Morris

Candidate for District 2 Assembly

I haven’t completely made my decision on that yet. Originally it was no, but the Chamber of Commerce had a nice speech and Rorie did a nice thing laying out why. The positive part of it is all the city offices would be in one place instead of running all over town. We just need to look at how it’s going to be built. I believe they should use a local contractor, because there’s plenty here that could do it that live right here in Juneau. It’s a big price tag, but everything has gone up. And they’re paying $300,000 rent for each floor per year I believe in the Marine building, and that money could go to paying down the debt, because they wouldn’t have to pay rent in five or six different places*, which they are now. I still haven’t decided, but I’m leaning more to yes.

*Editor’s note: The city rents four spaces for employees who work outside of city hall: Sealaska Plaza, the Municipal Way Building, the Seadrome Building and the Marine View Building.

Christine Woll

Candidate for District 2 Assembly

I will be voting yes on the city hall bond. It just is the fiscally responsible thing to do. Our current city hall needs substantial work and it’s not meeting our needs. We are renting a lot of space right now for city employees. I think a lot of people understand that it’s cheaper to own rather than to rent, especially if you’re going to be in a building for a long time, which the city will be. We’re going to need a new city hall at some point. The sooner we build it, the more taxpayer money we’re going to save.

Alicia Hughes-Skandijs

Candidate for District 1 Assembly

I voted to put the question to the voters again, and I had supported it last go around. I’m really supportive of a new city hall because it’s just something the city needs. The city hall building that we have that needs all those repairs only has some of our city employees in it. We’re renting spaces all over town. There’s not really a commercial real estate space that exists that we could repurpose that would fit all the employees. I wouldn’t have gone so out quickly again if the cost of the repairs needed wasn’t going to be so expensive. It feels like it’s going to be a waste of city money if we remodel rather than building something that’ll serve us for the next bunch of years. And hopefully, by putting some one-time monies toward the project, we’ve made the cost more attractive to voters.

Joe Geldhof

Candidate for District 1 Assembly

First of all, I’m going to vote against this proposal. It came up last time, without any opposition, and failed. The City and Borough staff and the Assembly have not made a compelling case. It’s been turned down once, there’s still no certainty on the final cost* and they won’t be denied. This is a proposal advanced by a rump group within the senior staff, and there isn’t adequate justification. And the citizens, rightfully, should turn this down.

*Editor’s note: The total estimated cost to develop and build a new city hall at 450 Whittier Street is $43.3 million, according to the city. And according to the city, “the bond proposition stipulates that the project must be completed within the $43.3 million total budget.”