$125,000 just landed in homer

The Alaska Legislature has distributed $37.5 million in unspent cruise ship passenger tax funds to 16 port communities, with Homer receiving $125,000, according to a report by the Peninsula Clarion. The money comes from the state's $34.50 per-passenger tax on large cruise ships, a system Alaska voters created through a citizens initiative roughly two decades ago.

The payout empties an account that had been piling up unspent for years. Southeast Alaska ports, which see the heaviest cruise traffic, took the largest shares. Skagway received $9 million, Ketchikan received $6.875 million, Juneau received $6 million, Sitka received $4.5 million, and Hoonah received $3 million.

Homer's share is smaller because fewer cruise ships call there, but the funds come with strict rules. State law requires the money go toward port and harbor infrastructure, passenger safety, and services for vessels and the passengers they bring ashore.

For people who keep a boat in the Homer harbor or depend on cruise visitor traffic for summer income, the funds are earmarked directly for waterfront improvements and services tied to the cruise season.