Selling Memberships to the Municipality of Anchorage
The Mayor says we're in a bind financially and he has to make difficult choices. Maybe he just needs to be more creative in finding ways to fund the government services we take for granted.
Both public and private organizations offer memberships. You can be a member of the Anchorage Museum - at several levels. At each level of payment, you get an increasing number of benefits. For example:
If you spend $125 you can be a sustaining member and add more benefits.
The Alaska Club has Basic, Silver, Gold, and Platinum memberships.
Why not revise our Municipal Property tax into a multi-level Property Tax/Municipal Membership? It might look something like this:
Basic level:
Members at the basic level have free access to the following services:
Travel on the streets, sidewalks, trail systems (does not include busiest intersections during peak traffic hours)
Children may attend school free, but must pay for books
Free entry into libraries (but may not check out items or use the internet)
Two free police or fire calls per year
Silver level has all the benefits of Basic level plus:
Free access to choice of five busiest intersections during rush hours
10% discount on first traffic ticket and parking ticket
Three family passes to visit a park in Anchorage
Library card
Free books for children at school, free after school activity (ie sports, etc.) for one child per semester
Five free police or fire calls per year.
20% discount on Municipal Utilities bills
Gold level has all the benefits of Silver level plus:
Total free access on all streets at all times
25 hours of free parking in downtown parking lots
50% discount on first traffic or parking ticket
Free access to all parks, including special park availability for Gold level and above members
Unlimited police or fire calls
Unlimited after school activities for kids in school
50% discount on Municipal Utilities
Free basic Museum membership
Platinum level has all the benefits of Gold level plus:
Priority snow plowing for neighborhoods that are >80% Platinum level members
Free parking downtown
70% discount on all Municipal fees or charges
10% discounts at events in MOA facilities
This is just a first quick draft, but I think it could work. You'd have to set the normal property tax at a reasonable level, and then let people pay for premium levels. Like paying for ski trail grooming, and museum membership; it would be about pride in your city with some extra privileges over people who pay the minimum. It would also help to highlight what people all get from Municipal government and take for granted.
The only real problem is that much of government is a public good. It's something where everyone benefits and excluding non-payers is hard - like city streets, using parks, clean air, etc.
That's why you'd still have to have a minimum charge everyone pays. Cars could have stickers that show what level they pay. And with new technology used in other cities, you could track who use the busy intersections at what times of the day.
You'd have to go through all the city services and see which ones could have premium levels or discounts. You'd also have to calculate what to charge for each level so that enough revenue would come in. And work out something for renters. Since they already pay property tax through their rent, perhaps they could just pay extra for the premium levels. And what about people who don't live in Anchorage but work in town? They could buy guest memberships. Lots of possibilities here.
Maybe there'd have to be a cafeteria plan, where you could pick a few from a list of possible benefits. The higher your level, the more you could pick. It would also allow people who don't think they use city services to just pay the minimum (but would they quit complaining about the things they don't pay for?)
Of course, there's no telling how many people would choose which level, but with the right mix of incentives, it could work.
Both public and private organizations offer memberships. You can be a member of the Anchorage Museum - at several levels. At each level of payment, you get an increasing number of benefits. For example:
Individual $50
(One individual and children or grandchildren 17 and younger)
- Unlimited general admission for one year
- 10% Discount at the Anchorage Museum Shop and Café and the Science Store at the Imaginarium
- Discounts on classes, films, lectures, and admission tickets to special exhibits as well as birthday parties and camp programs at the Imaginarium
- Free admission to more than 400 science and technology museums around the world
- Invitation to Members-only exhibition previews and special events
- Annual subscription to Museum Today, award-winning newsletter
- One year admission to family programs and activities, gallery talks and tours
- 100% of membership is tax-deductible
If you spend $125 you can be a sustaining member and add more benefits.
The Alaska Club has Basic, Silver, Gold, and Platinum memberships.
Why not revise our Municipal Property tax into a multi-level Property Tax/Municipal Membership? It might look something like this:
Basic level:
Members at the basic level have free access to the following services:
Travel on the streets, sidewalks, trail systems (does not include busiest intersections during peak traffic hours)
Children may attend school free, but must pay for books
Free entry into libraries (but may not check out items or use the internet)
Two free police or fire calls per year
Silver level has all the benefits of Basic level plus:
Free access to choice of five busiest intersections during rush hours
10% discount on first traffic ticket and parking ticket
Three family passes to visit a park in Anchorage
Library card
Free books for children at school, free after school activity (ie sports, etc.) for one child per semester
Five free police or fire calls per year.
20% discount on Municipal Utilities bills
Gold level has all the benefits of Silver level plus:
Total free access on all streets at all times
25 hours of free parking in downtown parking lots
50% discount on first traffic or parking ticket
Free access to all parks, including special park availability for Gold level and above members
Unlimited police or fire calls
Unlimited after school activities for kids in school
50% discount on Municipal Utilities
Free basic Museum membership
Platinum level has all the benefits of Gold level plus:
Priority snow plowing for neighborhoods that are >80% Platinum level members
Free parking downtown
70% discount on all Municipal fees or charges
10% discounts at events in MOA facilities
This is just a first quick draft, but I think it could work. You'd have to set the normal property tax at a reasonable level, and then let people pay for premium levels. Like paying for ski trail grooming, and museum membership; it would be about pride in your city with some extra privileges over people who pay the minimum. It would also help to highlight what people all get from Municipal government and take for granted.
The only real problem is that much of government is a public good. It's something where everyone benefits and excluding non-payers is hard - like city streets, using parks, clean air, etc.
That's why you'd still have to have a minimum charge everyone pays. Cars could have stickers that show what level they pay. And with new technology used in other cities, you could track who use the busy intersections at what times of the day.
You'd have to go through all the city services and see which ones could have premium levels or discounts. You'd also have to calculate what to charge for each level so that enough revenue would come in. And work out something for renters. Since they already pay property tax through their rent, perhaps they could just pay extra for the premium levels. And what about people who don't live in Anchorage but work in town? They could buy guest memberships. Lots of possibilities here.
Maybe there'd have to be a cafeteria plan, where you could pick a few from a list of possible benefits. The higher your level, the more you could pick. It would also allow people who don't think they use city services to just pay the minimum (but would they quit complaining about the things they don't pay for?)
Of course, there's no telling how many people would choose which level, but with the right mix of incentives, it could work.