The back-and-forth about a tobacco tax increase among lawmakers in Ketchikan, Alaska has taken another turn, and will now be decided at the ballot box on October 4. A proposal to raise the tobacco tax by $2 per pack of cigarettes and 50 percent of the wholesale cost of other tobacco products was approved Monday by the Ketchikan Gateway Borough Assembly and now must go to voters to be ratified. One of the main sticking points of the proposal has been where the additional money will go, according to a report by KBRD-FM. Under the proposal that was passed, the borough will keep all of the money and split it up with fifteen percent going towards new tobacco cessation programs and the remained to the the Ketchikan School District reserve fund. Additionally, the tax hike will sunset after five years unless renewed by voters. Ketchikan is home to approximately 8,250 residents, making it the fifth largest city in the state.
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