The Mat-Su Borough is hosting two more open houses this week on the seven cent fuel excise tax the borough is proposing to implement. These sessions aren’t about convincing voters — they’re about answering questions and explaining the borough’s financial challenges.
The next open house is tomorrow, Wednesday October 22 at 6 p.m. at Mat-Su Central School, 2055 N. Stringfield Rd. in Palmer. The final session will be at the Upper Susitna Community and Senior Center in Talkeetna on Thursday.
The events are informal and designed for one-on-one conversations. Borough Manager Mike Brown said most discussions so far have taken place in that format.
The tax appears on the November ballot as an advisory vote. While it’s nonbinding, the result is expected to carry significant weight with the Borough Assembly.
Brown said he encourages people to attend, even just to ask questions such as: Why would the borough propose a new tax in a community that’s typically tax-resistant?
He pointed to a gradual decline in state funding for local governments. The open houses are meant to help residents understand how that affects borough operations and services.
Some attendees at earlier sessions said the events gave them new perspectives.
One woman said that after learning more, she questioned whether she should support future public bonds, knowing they could lead to long-term debt for her grandchildren.
Another attendee said he originally supported the fuel tax. But after learning more about the borough’s financial challenges, he changed his mind—not because he opposes taxes, but because he felt the 7 cents wouldn’t go far enough.
The open houses do not include a formal presentation. A one-page flyer is available, but the focus is on conversation—not persuasion.
The sessions are designed to bring people into the discussion on how to fund essential services in this fast-growing borough.
Brown said he’s less concerned with whether the advisory vote passes and more focused on helping residents understand how local government works and the financial pressures it’s facing.
Borough elections are on Tuesday, November 4.
You may vote early at the following locations through November 3 at these locations:
The Mat-Su Borough Building from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday
The Division of Elections Mat-Su Regional Office at 1700 E. Bogard Road from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday – Friday with weekend voting on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.
And during regular business hours Monday through Friday at Houston City Hall, Talkeetna Public Library, and Trapper Creek Public Library.
By-Mail Absentee Ballot Requests are due to the Borough by October 28. You can download the application from the borough website at matsugov.us/elections.
The Mat-Su Sentinel has a complete election guide at matsusentinel.com. The video of the Flip Script: Mat-Su Election Connection event is on bigcabbageradio.org.
An event for tomorrow:
Salmon State is hosting the National Geographic movie Ocean with David Attenborough on Wednesday October 22 at 6:30 p.m. at the Palmer Depot.
The movie dives into the undiscovered parts of the Earth’s oceans while addressing bottom trawling as one of its largest threats.
Page Two articles are written by Emily Forstner and Lee Henrikson. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.
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That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Tuesday October 21, 2025.