Opinion ID: 1185727
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: CONSTITUTIONALITY OF AS 29.85.160(c).

Text: The main thrust of appellants' contentions in this appeal is that AS 29.85.160(c) violates article X, section 9 of the Alaska Constitution. That constitutional provision says: The qualified voters of any borough of the first class or city of the first class may adopt, amend, or repeal a home rule charter in a manner provided by law. In the absence of such legislation, the governing body of a borough or city of the first class shall provide the procedure for the preparation and adoption or rejection of the charter. All charters, or parts or amendments of charters, shall be submitted to the qualified voters of the borough or city, and shall become effective if approved by a majority of those who vote on the specific question. Appellants' theory is that this provision applies whenever the charter of a home rule city is repealed, so Douglas' charter may not be repealed when a majority of the votes cast in Douglas do not favor repeal. Appellees say that article X, section 7 empowers the legislature to devise means for dissolution of home rule cities other than submission of charter repeal referenda to their voters. Article X, section 7 provides that: Cities shall be incorporated in a manner prescribed by law, and shall be a part of the borough in which they are located. Cities shall have the powers and functions conferred by law or charter. They may be merged, consolidated, classified, reclassified, or dissolved in the manner provided by law. Alaska's Constitution further provides that the terms by law and by the legislature are used interchangeably when related to law-making powers. [15] We think appellees' position is correct. Article X, section 7 leaves the legislature free to determine the manner of dissolution of cities. On the other hand, article X, section 9 grants to the qualified voters of a city the right to adopt, amend, or repeal a home rule charter. The distinction between dissolution of cities and adoption, amendment, or repeal of home rule charters is, in our view, of controlling significance. Article X, section 9 empowers first class cities to determine the local question of whether to have home rule without interference by others, but by virtue of article X, section 7, the legislature is authorized to decide the broader and quite different question of whether a home rule city should be dissolved, as well as the method or manner of dissolution. A similar policy distinction underlies the constitutional provision for establishment of a local boundary commission. [16] In regard to the Local Boundary Commission, the minutes of the constitutional convention were examined in Fairview Public Utility District No. One v. City of Anchorage, 368 P.2d 540 (Alaska 1962). [17] There it was said that the framers of the Alaska Constitution thought that local political decisions do not usually create proper boundaries and that boundaries should be established at the state level. [18] Fairview held that residents of a community have no constitutionally protected interest in its existence as a separate governmental unit, so the legislature may provide for its annexation without their consent. [19] Fairview was followed by Oesau v. City of Dillingham, 439 P.2d 180 (Alaska 1968), upholding the Local Boundary Commission's dissolution of a fourth class city without a vote of its residents. [20] Though the Local Boundary Commission is not involved in unification of government units provided for under AS 29.85.010-210, the enabling constitutional provisions, as well as the Fairview and Oesau decisions, offer a cogent analogue for the constitutional distinction between article X, section 9, granting the qualified voters of a first class city the right to adopt, amend, or repeal a home rule charter, and article X, section 7, providing that cities may be merged, consolidated or dissolved in the manner provided by the legislature. It appears that this cleavage is reflective of a policy which has as its objective the placement of decisional responsibility for local problems within local control and decisional responsibility for broader problems in control of a broader community. Therefore, in light of the authorization provided by article X, section 7 for legislative enactment of a statutory system for the merger and consolidation, as well as the dissolution of cities, we hold that AS 29.85.160(c) is constitutional and does not violate the provisions of article X, section 9. Given the constitutional basis afforded by article X, section 7, we cannot say that the statutory system for unification of local government units lacked a rational policy basis or conflicted with the provisions of article X, section 9. [21] Appellants further contend that unification is barred by an implied constitutional requirement that cities not be dissolved in favor of boroughs. [22] On this theory appellants challenge the constitutionality of AS 29.85.170, which provides that upon ratification of the unification charter, local government units within the unified area are dissolved. We think appellants' challenge is for the most part disposed of by our discussion pertaining to the constitutionality of AS 29.85.160(c). Unification is consistent with the purpose expressed in article X, section 1 of minimizing the number of local government units. Article X, section 2 merely authorizes but does not require the coexistence of cities and boroughs. In view of the express constitutional policy of minimizing the number of local government units, the grant to the legislature of the power to decide on the manner of dissolution of cities, found in article X, section 7, and the absence of either an explicit ban against unification, or a persuasive basis for inferring such a prohibition, we hold AS 29.85.170 constitutional. Appellants next argue that the legislature has unconstitutionally delegated its powers of dissolution. Conceding that article X, section 7 of the Alaska Constitution empowers the legislature to dissolve cities, it is argued that by placing this power in the legislature, the constitution impliedly prohibits the legislature from delegating the power to others. In the case at bar, we are not presented with an instance of impermissible delegation. As was indicated previously, article X, section 7 provides that cities may be dissolved in the manner provided by law, a phrase interchangeable with in the manner provided by the legislature. Since the provision says dissolved in the manner provided by the legislature, it empowers the legislature to construct any otherwise constitutional scheme for dissolution, rather than requiring the legislature to perform the dissolution. Appellants' final point is that AS 29.80.011 implies a prohibition against dissolution of cities in conjunction with unification procedures. AS 29.80.011 provides that: [t]wo methods may be used to initiate dissolution of home rule and general law cities: (1) petition to the local boundary commission under regulations adopted by the commission; or (2) the local option method specified in §§ 21-81 of this chapter. This statute applies to dissolution apart from unifications, and was adopted later than AS 29.85.170, which provided that ratification of a unification charter works a dissolution. AS 29.85.170 and AS 29.80.011 are functionally different. We cannot ascertain any basis for finding an implied repeal of AS 29.85.170 by virtue of the subsequent enactment of AS 29.80.011. [23] Affirmed. DIMOND, J., not participating.