https://www.juneauempire.com/news/turning-governors-house-into-a-short-term-rental-proposed-by-alaska-lawmaker/
Vacation rental: Historic six-bedroom, 10-bathroom mansion with eight fireplaces and ballroom. Conveniently located in the heart of downtown Juneau within easy walking distance of the Alaska State Capitol and other attractions. May offend some political and cultural sensitivities.
Opening the doors for such a listing by turning the Alaska Governors House into a short-term rental is being proposed in a bill introduced Monday by state Rep. Will Stapp, a Fairbanks Republican. House Bill 139 would allow short-term rentals at the three-story, 14,400-square-foot residence when the legislature is not in session and the governor has not reserved the mansion in advance.
The bill also states if the Legislature is called into special session that rental bookings for the affected dates will be canceled. No specific rent amounts or other terms are specified, instead mandating The Office of the Governor shall adopt regulations establishing a system for making the governors mansion available for a person to rent and the fee charged for renting the mansion.
Stapp, in an interview Wednesday, said the intent of the bill is to demonstrate lawmakers are being fiscally responsible with state assets at a time when a large budget shortfall looms and remedies such as new tax measures are being considered. He said it isnt directed specifically at Gov. Mike Dunleavy, a fellow Republican, who is absent from the mansion for most of the year.
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Stapp, a member of the House Finance Committee, said the governors residence is an $800,000 a year operating expense.
So if were going to have that type of luxury, you know what? he said. Our state has a lot of needs coming to education and revenue shortfalls; we need to really start looking inward ourself to operate the government, and start saying Hey, what are must-haves and what are our wants and what are our needs?
Dunleavys proposed budget for the coming year includes a four-person staff at the mansion a manager, a chef and two housekeepers at a cost of about $531,000. Other costs include a broad range of categories such as utilities, maintenance and office expenses.
The mansion is used for a limited number of public events such as the governors annual holiday open house as well as numerous private events where various groups and guests are hosted.
Juneaus ongoing and chronic housing shortage has made short-term rentals a controversial subject as is the case in many other communities. City leaders are currently studying additional possible limits, with a Short-Term Rental Task Force that began meeting in January scheduled to present initial recommendations to the Juneau Assembly later this spring.
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The external decor may be more controversial for some, since Dunleavy has hoisted two flags with pro-life themes on the flagpole that also flies the Alaska State Flag. Protesters converged on the mansion last June a potentially awkward social situation for a guest renter should a similar demonstration overlap their stay.
tldr - Alaska's governor spends most of his time away from the capitol city, so a lawmaker wants to offset some of the governor's mansion's $800k/year staffing/upkeep budget by putting it up on AirBnB.