Sitka assembly uses sales tax revenues to give $300 to every utility customer

The Sitka assembly has approved a one-time payment of $300 to all residential utility customers, spending more than $1 million of the city’s higher-than-expected sales tax haul this past fiscal year.

The ordinance passed on a 5-2 vote on Nov. 14.

The $300 will be applied to residential accounts starting late this month, city staff said.

“Even as I was running, I had people always coming up to me, saying ‘we need help with utilities,’” Assembly Member Chris Ystad said. “That was a constant theme. And another constant theme was ‘how does tourism help me?’ I think the attempt was bringing those t...