Know Your Local Governments
produced by the
Tanana Valley League of Women Voters
1997
Voter Information
Who is eligible to vote?
Voters must be:
You may register to vote up to 30 days before an election at the following locations:
Registered voters who change address should give written notification of the change to the Election Office at least 30 days prior to an election.
Where do I vote?
After you have registered, you will receive a card in the mail showing the precinct in which you will vote. A list of voting precincts and their locations is published in the local newspapers shortly before an election. You may also call:
for municipal elections
When are elections held?
Polling hours 7 am to 8 pm
If you will not be in town on election day contact the Division of Elections or a municipal clerk to request an absentee ballot.
This is the fourth edition of a local government booklet produced by the Tanana Valley League of Women Voters. The last edition was produced 17 years ago, in 1980! In 33 years of observing local government, we have learned a lot--and would like to pass along some of what we have discovered to other new and not-so-new borough residents.
Local government in Alaska is flexible; each community has its own version of the borough. Boroughs in Alaska are an intermediate form of government between the state and cities. They are similar to counties in other states, but they have different powers, and unlike most counties, they include the cities that fall within them. Division of the state into boroughs was mandated by state legislation, but the size and shape of each borough was decided by the areas themselves. Right now, some areas of the state are still in what is called "the unorganized borough" because they have no population centers or tax base. Services in the unorganized borough are the responsibility of the state, but regional education attendance areas (REAAs) elect school boards which set policy for local school districts.
In the greater Fairbanks area, we have a borough government and two city governments. What these different entities do can be confusing.
If you live in the city of Fairbanks, your police and fire protection, your telephone, sewer and water service, your road maintenance and your garbage collection, all are provided by city government. The City of North Pole also provides police, fire protection and some utilities. But your garbage goes to the borough’s sanitary landfill, and your children are educated at borough schools, to name only a few borough services.
If you live outside the Fairbanks or North Pole city limits, your police protection is supplied by the State Troopers. Your fire protection can be from any number of service areas or independent fire districts or you may not have fire protection in your area. Road maintenance may provided by the state, a borough service area or private service. Utilities are provided by various public and private services. There is no public areawide garbage collection, but the borough does provide dumpsters at several locations, where residents outside the city may bring their household trash for transport to the landfill.
We hope that with more information about your local government you will join us in participating and voting in local elections. If you need further information, don’t hesitate to use the names, addresses and phone numbers on the back cover of this book. Also, check our homepage at http://www.polarnet.com/Users/lwv or a wonderful Fairbanks community page called FAIRNET at http://www.fairnet.org. These web sites have connections to our local government sites and lots of other community information. Free internet access is available at the borough library and at several Fairnet sites throughout the community.
The Fairbanks North Star Borough was incorporated Jan. 1, 1964. It contains 7,361 square miles, has a population of over 84,000, and a certified assessed valuation of 3.09 billion dollars. It is a second class borough, which means that it can acquire powers by a vote of the people. Original mandatory powers for all boroughs were education, taxation and assessment, and planning and zoning. Since then the state has added some additional powers, and the citizens have voted in others. Two first class, home rule cities are located within the borough: the city of Fairbanks, with a population of 32,655 and North Pole, with a population of 1,654.
The areawide powers include:
Non-areawide powers include:
In addition, a special district was created in 1991 to exercise solid waste collection powers. This district includes all areas of the borough outside the city of Fairbanks plus the city of North Pole.
Service area powers are exercised in specific areas upon petition and adoption by vote of the residents of that area. Currently there are 110 service areas in the borough outside the cities of Fairbanks and North Pole. These powers vary from area to area but may include:
Residents of each area volunteer to serve on a service area commission. These commissions determine the scope of service to be provided and submit a yearly budget to the Borough Assembly. Property owners within the service area are taxed according to the mill rate recommended by their service area commission.
The Assembly is composed of eleven elected members, each elected at-large for three-year staggered terms. Local elections are nonpartisan. Both the Mayor and Assembly members are subject to two-term limits. The Borough Clerk supervises borough elections and communications to the assembly. The Borough Assembly meets regularly on the first and third Thursdays of each month at 6:30 p.m. in the Assembly Chambers of the Borough Administrative Building, 809 Pioneer Road. The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner publishes a brief agenda of the Assembly meeting on the Tuesday of that week, and the meetings are broadcast on KUAC-FM 89.9. The Borough’s phone number is: 459-1000. The Borough has an internet web site at http://www.co.fairbanks.ak.us.
The superintendent is the chief administrator of the school district. He interprets and implements School Board policies, hires all personnel and is responsible for the day-to-day operations.
Kindergarten is provided, with half-day or extended day sessions. Students must be 5 years old by August 15 to attend kindergarten, and 6 by August 15 to start first grade. Vocational and technical training is available, and a community schools program offers evening classes in a variety of subjects. The phone number for the School District offices is 452-2000. The School District web site is at http://www.northstar.k12.ak.us.
The School District provides bus transportation for students living more than 1 1/2 miles from school. It also transports students on "hazardous" routes (as designated by the School Board) for shorter distances when conditions are unsafe for children to walk.
The various fire and police departments have been working together for centralized dispatch and enhanced 911 service. When an emergency occurs, persons should call 911 and give their address. The dispatcher will contact the correct police, fire or emergency medical service department--or the State Troopers. The Borough Emergency Management Division assists with training and coordination of emergency services.
The District Court handles all misdemeanors and civil actions under $50,000.00. The Small Claims Court handles anything up to $7,500.00. The Superior Court handles felonies, juveniles, family court problems, and civil cases over $50,000.00.
The City Council consists of six members elected at large for three-year staggered terms. The Council meets the first and third Mondays of each month. The City Council appoints the City Clerk and Attorney, both of whom serve at the pleasure of the Council. The City Clerk supervises all City elections and coordinates correspondence and meetings of the Council. The Clerk’s office also receives all payments due to the City. The Mayor appoints all department heads and does not need approval of the Council to do so. City Hall is located at 800 Cushman St. The telephone number for the City Clerk’s office is: 459-6715. The City’s web site can be found at http://www.fairnet.org/fbcity/fbcity1.html.
In addition to property taxes, the city has an 8% hotel/motel tax, a 5% liquor tax, and an 8% tobacco tax. Residents of the city also pay borough property taxes, but only for areawide borough services. (See section on the borough, for which services are areawide.)
The Golden Valley Electric Association, an REA cooperative, supplies electricity to part of the city and all areas outside the city. Both MUS and GVEA are subject to regulation by the State Public Utilities Commission.
The Public Utilities Board is responsible for the management of MUS. Board members are appointed by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council. The Board determines policy, recommends rates, and plans expansion and improvement of facilities. It is responsible to the Mayor and City Council, which approves rates and requests for bond elections. Services supplied by the Municipal Utilities System are financed by income from rates, revenue bonds, and general obligation bonds.
All the major roads are built and maintained by the State Department of Transportation. Local roads are built and maintained by the cities or borough road service areas.
The Fairbanks Police Department is responsible for law enforcement within the city limits. The city recently introduced a "volunteers in policing" program that involves volunteers assisting in patrol and administrative duties.
The main police station is located at 656 7th Ave., with two substations on Lacey St. and Gillam Way. The Fairbanks Fire Department is responsible for both fire protection and ambulance and paramedic services within the city limits. Besides the headquarters at 675 7th Ave., there is a fire station in the Aurora Subdivision
The city provides police and fire protection within the city limits, as well as limited water and sewer services. There is a 3% sales tax, which includes food, in addition to a property tax. Residents of the city also pay borough property taxes. The City of North Pole’s phone number is 488-2281. The City of North Pole has a web site at http://www.fairnet.org/npole/npole2.html.
The Fairbanks Regional Public Health Center is funded largely by the State, but the Borough is responsible for building maintenance. It provides immunizations, well baby clinics, sexually transmitted disease and family planning clinics, and itinerant public health nurse services to surrounding communities. It is staffed by public health nurses. Most services are free or at a very nominal charge. The phone number is 452-1776.
The Interior Neighborhood Health Clinic is a nonprofit agency funded by state and federal grants. It is staffed by a physician, mid-level practitioners and nurses, and provides clinic services on a sliding-scale fee schedule. The phone number is 455-4567.
The Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center provides free health services, including a pharmacy, to all Alaska Natives, as well as those of Native origin from other parts of the US. It is staffed by family practice physicians, mid-level practitioners, psychologists and nurses. Clients are also referred to medical specialists in the community, when this is required. CAIHC is funded by the federal government’s Indian Health Service but is managed by the Tanana Chiefs Conference, the nonprofit Native corporation for the Fairbanks area. In addition to the Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center, the Tanana Chiefs Conference provides dental services, an eye clinic, and community health aide services in most Interior Alaska Native villages, as well as clinics staffed by mid-level practitioners in Ft. Yukon and Galena. The phone number for the Chief Andrew Isaac Health Center is 451-6682.
The Fairbanks Community Mental Health Center is a nonprofit agency funded largely by state and federal grants. It provides mental health counseling on a sliding-scale fee schedule and works with the State to provide residential services to the chronically mentally ill. The phone number for the Fairbanks Community Mental Health Center is 452-1575.
The Regional Center for Alcohol and Other Addictions provides in and out-patient treatment to anyone in the community. It is run by the Fairbanks Native Association but is open to non-Natives as well. The phone number for the Regional Center for Alcohol and Other Addictions is 452-6251.
Other nonprofit agencies that provide counseling and other services, usually on a sliding-scale fee basis, some with state and federal grants, are: Access Alaska, 479-7940; Alaska Crippled Children and Adults, 456-4003; Fairbanks Counseling and Adoption, 456-4729; Fairbanks Crisis Line, 452-4357; Fairbanks Resource Agency, 456-8901, Hospice of the Tanana Valley, 474-0311; Interior Aids Association, 452-4222; and Resource Center for Parents and Children, 456-2866.
Hospital services for the entire Fairbanks community are provide by Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, which is owned by the Greater Fairbanks Community Hospital Foundation, a nonprofit corporation, and managed by Lutheran Health Systems, a nonprofit agency headquartered in Fargo, North Dakota. The phone number for Fairbanks Memorial Hospital is 452-8181. Other agencies that provide similar services in the community include Breast Cancer Detection Center, 479-3909; Peninsula Home Health Care, 452-6208, and Apria Health Care (medical equipment), 458-8912.
Bassett Army Hospital, located on Ft. Wainwright, serves both Ft. Wainwright and Eielson Air Force Base and provides both in- and outpatient services. Its phone number is: 353-5172.
Long-term care facilities in the Fairbanks community include Denali Center, which is owned by the Greater Fairbanks Community Hospital Foundation and is "co-located" with Fairbanks Memorial Hospital, 458-5100, and the Fairbanks Pioneers Home, which is owned and managed by the State of Alaska, 456-4372.
Fairbanks started as a gold mining town in the early days of the 20th century. In 1901 Captain E.T. Barnette unloaded his riverboat of supplies and goods for a trading post at a site on the Chena River which was destined to become Fairbanks. When Felix Pedro discovered gold on a nearby stream in 1902, the newly established town became a center for the miners that followed.
In 1904 Judge James Wickersham transferred the U.S. Fourth Judicial Division headquarters to Fairbanks from Eagle. This move has often been cited as the reason Fairbanks remained, while other gold mining centers became ghost towns.
In 1910 the name Fairbanks, in honor of Charles Fairbanks, former Vice-President of the United States, first appeared in the U.S. census. At this time, however, the population (which included about 11,000 in the area) began to dwindle. Miners became discouraged because most of the gold was buried in frozen ground, which was difficult to thaw with the technology available at the time. Also, transportation was difficult, despite the 1913 completion of the wagon road from Valdez (now the Richardson Highway).
The Alaska Railroad, completed in 1923, gave Fairbanks a needed economic boost, as did the depression which made gold mining profitable. However, the biggest change in the Fairbanks economy came with World War II and the establishment of military bases in Alaska. Two of these, Ladd Air Force Base (now Fort Wainwright) and Eielson Air Force Base, remain in the Fairbanks area. World War II also brought the Alaska Highway (originally called the Alcan Highway) across Canada.
In 1922 the Alaska Agricultural College and School of Mines was founded in College, Alaska, just a few miles from Fairbanks. In 1935 it became the University of Alaska. The University was the site of the territory’s constitutional convention in 1955. In 1959 Alaska became the 49th state of the United States.
The Alaska Constitution provided that the entire state be divided into boroughs, organized or unorganized. Thus, the North Star Borough was incorporated in 1964. It is composed of 4,711,040 acres plus the military reserves which total an additional 1,500,000 acres.
Street Address Mailing Address Phone/Fax
Email Fairbanks North Star Borough
809 Pioneer Road P.O. Box 71267
Fairbanks, AK 99707 459-1000
Fax 459-1224
FNSB School District
520 Fifth Ave. 520 Fifth Ave.
Fairbanks, AK 99701-4756 452-2000
Fax 451-6160
City of Fairbanks
800 Cushman St. 800 Cushman St.
Fairbanks, AK 99707 459-6881
Fax 459-6710
City of North Pole
Santa Claus Lane P.O. Box 55109
North Pole, AK 99705 488-2281
Fax 488-3002
Commercial Printing Co.
The borough’s powers are both areawide, which means they apply to the whole borough including the two cities within it, and non-areawide, which means these powers are exercised in the area of the borough that is outside the two cities.
Budget
Organization
The Fairbanks North Star Borough has a Mayor-Assembly form of government. The Mayor serves for a three-year term and is the chief executive officer. He can introduce legislation to the Assembly and has veto power, but he does not vote. Vetoes can be overridden by a two-thirds majority of the Assembly. The Mayor also manages the everyday operations of the borough.
Schools in the borough are governed by a School Board, which consists of seven members elected by the public for staggered three-year terms. The Board is responsible for setting policies, selecting the design of new school buildings, preparing the budget, and hiring the superintendent of schools. Board meetings are open to the public and are held on the first and third Tuesdays of the month at the school district offices on 520 5th Avenue. The meetings are broadcast on KUAC-FM 89.9.
There are 30 schools in the district, including a vocational education center, a charter school, a correspondence program, and an alternative high school. There is a compulsory school attendance law for children between the ages of 7 and 16, or completion of grade 12. Supplemental education is also provided for children who are physically, emotionally or mentally handicapped, and those who are gifted and talented. Each school produces a "report card" containing enrollment information and demographic data, test scores, school goals and other pertinent information.
The School District receives funding from borough, state and federal revenue sources. The School Board creates a budget which sets funding levels for specific educational programs and teacher salaries. The Borough government’s contribution to the School District’s budget must be approved by the Borough Assembly. All school facilities are owned, built and maintained by the Borough.
Inside the cities of Fairbanks and North Pole, police, fire and emergency medical services are provided by the cities. Outside the two cities, police services are provided by the State Troopers.
Outside the cities fire protection services are provided by local service areas. There are a few areas of the borough without service areas and therefore without fire protection
Emergency medical services are provided in all areas of the borough. These services are usually operated by city or borough service area fire departments.
The State of Alaska Court System adjudicates all cases in the borough, including those in the two cities. There are five Superior Court judge seats, three District Court seats and two magistrates in Fairbanks, which is headquarters for the Fourth Judicial District.
Fairbanks is a first class, home rule city, incorporated on Nov. 10, 1903. It has a strong mayor government, which means that the Mayor has all executive and administrative powers. The Mayor is elected for a three-year term and presides at City Council meetings but does not vote except in case of a tie.
The Municipal Utilities System provides the city with electricity, water, sewer, telephone and steam heat (to a small area of downtown Fairbanks.) City ordinances require that every resident be served with city water and sewer where available. Telephone service from the Municipal Utilities System is extended outside the city to the entire surrounding area.
The Public Works Department is responsible for street construction, maintenance and cleaning, snow removal, and other functions as required or requested. Specific standards for city streets, sidewalks and lighting are the responsibility of the City Engineer. The City Engineer, along with the State Department of Transportation, determines traffic routing through the city.
The City Attorney’s office furnishes legal opinions to the City Council, Mayor and Municipal Utilities System, prosecutes violations of city ordinances and defends the city against lawsuits and grievances. The Attorney also assists in the drafting of all legal documents.
The City of North Pole is located 14 miles southeast of Fairbanks on the Richardson Highway. It was incorporated in 1953 as a home rule city with a six-member City Council and a Mayor. It has a population of 1,654 with approximately 10,000 in the surrounding area.
Health and social services are provided by a combination of state and federal government, and local nonprofit groups. However, block grants from the State to local nonprofits do go through the Borough’s Health and Social Services Commission. The Borough also administers the State’s grant to fund day care assistance.
History
Contacting Your Local Governments
P.O. Box 71974
Fairbanks, AK 99707-1974
456-8963
Email Us
Fairbanks North Star Borough School District
Alyeska Pipeline Service Co.
League of Women Voters of Alaska Education Fund
Golden Valley Electric Association, Inc.
Usibelli Coal Mine, Inc.
Last Modified:
Today is
fairnet@touralaska.org