Who we are...
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough is the largest regional local Government entity in Southern Southeast Alaska. As a borough it is responsible for public school education, regional land-use planning and regulation, and property assessment and collection of taxes for both the borough Government and any cities within the Borough.
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough has also adopted areawide economic development powers and areawide Parks and Recreation powers. It operates the airport and bus system for the community. It operates the community recreation Center and community aquatic facilities.
The Ketchikan Gateway Borough also provides services to some of its residents through service areas or exercise of powers in areas outside of cities. These services include library services, sanitary sewer permitting and septic pumping; sewer treatment in some locations; fire and emergency medical service in two service areas; road maintenance in three service areas; and public water service in one service area.
The Borough has been very active in recent years working on a long list of projects designed to meet the service needs of its residents. These include: remodeling of the junior high school; construction of a new elementary school; repairs to the aquatic facility; construction of a roadway serving the airport; construction of new water and sewer lines extending south of the city of Ketchikan; construction of a sludge treatment facility; upgrading and remodeling of the Ketchikan international Airport terminal; upgrading and remodeling of facilities at the Ward Cove industrial park to accommodate new tenants and new enterprises; construction of new restrooms at local sports fields; and assisting with the construction of a second ship lift at the Ketchikan shipyard.
The Borough is a busy place to work, with ever-changing challenges to meet the needs and desires of the community for both facilities and services.
