The Daily Alaska empire., 1945-08-06
RIVERS REVEALS HOW TO ASSURE
 VOTE ON BONDS
Make Certain Name Is on Tax Rolls, Gisf of Attor-
 ney Generals s Views

At their last meeting, members ol .Juneaus Common Council adopted into the minutes an opinion from Alaskas Attorney General, Ralpr ] Rivers. outlining eligibility provis- ions for voting in muncicipal bono elections. The interpretation had been requested from MT Rivers by Councilman Don Skuse.
 It was the Councils reaction that the opinion should be published m order to inform property owners as to what is required to make them eligible to vote in such elections.
 The communication from Attorney General Rivers, with reference to Title AS. U. s. Code 44b," here fol- lows, in full:
 "In response to your request for an expression of my views on how to expand exercise of the franchise Tn referendums required for bonding an incorporated city, l submit the following:
 Who May Vote
 "The Law above cited, which IS part of Alaska's Organic Act, speci- fies who may vote in elections to bond a city for public works of a permanent character. The pertin- ent part provides:
 No bonded indebtedness shall be incurred by any municipal cor poration in the Territory of Alaska unless the proposal to incur such indebtedness be first submitted to the qualified electors of such muni- cipal corporation whose names ap- pear on the last tax assessment roll or record of such municipality for purposes of municipal taxation, at an election called for such pur- pose, and not less than 65 per cen- tum of the votes cast at such cleo tion shall be in favor thereof ...
 Tt is obvious that in order to participate in such an election, aper- son must:
 "1-Reside within the City Linn its. This is necessary to be qualified elector therein.
 "2-Have his name appear on the last City Tax Assessment roll or record. To have his name so listed, he must be assessed on either real or personal property owned within the City.
 Husband And Wife
 Tn the past, throughout the towns of Alaska, neither the taxpayers nor the City Clerks, generally speaking have paid any attention to build ing up list of persons eligible tc vote in a Taxpayers Election. To illustrate. A husband and wife have house and lot with household fur niture and personal elongingts. Int husband is the owner of record ol the real estate. Assessment is made on all said property with reference to him only. He pays. His name goes on the rolls. The wife's name doesn't. At subsequent Taxpayers Election the wife is disfranchised The cure for this is for the wift to declare the personal property anc to insist if necessary, that the Clerl put her name on the roll, regardless! of who actually makes the tax re- mittance.
 "A variation of the foregoing i where the title of record to thu house and lot is in the names O both spouses. Yet, for expedience tax card is sent to the husband only. He mails his check in pay. ment of the tax and gets receip in his name His name only zoe! on the rolls. To avoid disfranchis ing his wife. all he would have tt do in a case like this would be to re quest the Clerk to put both name on the rolls.
 Husband and wife live in rented premises but own one thousand dol lars worth of personal belongings Assessment is made on the who'll with reference to him only He pay the tax, gets receipt in his name ant only his name gets on the Tax Roll
 Even though we do not have tn well-known community property lax in Alaska, many of the family be longings are bound to be the wife personally owned items. There fore they should fill out the City tax return as MT and Mrs, clain the one exemption to which tn head of the house is entitled, an, be assessed on the balance as Nil and Mrs. AS a result, both thei names should go upon the Tax Rol